Moroccan Migrant’s Journey from Stowaway to Beloved Fish Skewer Chef in Malaga

Mohammed decided to leave Morocco in 2001, at the risk of his life, to have a better future in Spain. "Not everyone has the means to pay for a patera. If I had been given another option, I would have tried that too," he explains to Malaga Hoy. Passionate about philosophy, his teacher had advised him to pursue his studies in this field, but he had neither a scholarship nor money. That’s why he decided to join Ceuta under a truck. Once there, without money and without means, he had to do some odd jobs to meet his basic needs.

To read: Moroccan Youth Find Success and Opportunity in Spain, Defying Migration Challenges

Then one day, he meets a compatriot who advised him to go to the mountains of Malaga where the identity checks are less strict. Which he did. In this city, he worked on several sheep farms before joining another farm growing olives and other fruits sold to cooperatives. It was there that he met Miguel Garcia, the neighbor’s son, who invited him and his boss to a Paella. On this occasion, Miguel, co-owner of a bar on the beach of San Pedro de Alcantara, asked him to contact him as soon as he had his papers in order.

To read: African Migrants Face Harsh Realities After Dangerous Journey to France

A few months later, Mohammed regularized his situation and called Miguel as promised. "He kept his word and brought me to San Pedro where he paid for a room in a hostel and let me work, washing dishes," Mohammed recounts gratefully. After the grocer left the bar, Miguel and José M. del Pino, his business partner, offered him the position. "Since I had experience in the kitchen and had been helping the grocer for some time, they entrusted me with the position, I was on probation for two weeks and they confirmed me. Today, my skewers are the best in the region, without a doubt," he proudly admits. Many customers love his skewers. Today, Mohammed has also opened a fruit shop run by his sister and his wife.