>> even if they force me to turn back a thousand times, i'll keep trying. " >> they are determined, driven --- and often unwelcome. millions of people are desperate to start a new life abroad. what do they face on their journey there? and how can they make a fresh start? more than 108 million people are currently displaced. a record high. they are fueling human rights

abuses and record poverty. the coastal city of sfax in tunisia. for thousands, it's the gateway to europe. migrants, mostly from west africa, earn a few dinars on the edge of the medina, trying to get together enough money for a place in a boat. we've arranged to meet sindou and boubacar in a side street. they're afraid of the police, so we film discretely with a cellphone. they tell us about their attempts to escape to europe. >> we're always in touch, asking- how much money do you have? what can you add, and then some of us pay for the boat, and others buy gasoline. even if they force me to turn back a thousand times, i'll keep trying. they need to raise over 1000 for the crossing. these days they organize their own boats as they no longer trust the traffickers.

they suspect they're collaborating with the tunisian authorities. >> the tunisian coastguard either does everything to stop us and force us to turn back. or they take away our gasoline or the engine and just leave us floating on the water. >> this footage was shot by a news agency. the tunisian coast guard denies the allegations, and says there's no evidence. according to the european union's border agency frontex, more than 60,000 migrants have arrived in europe via the mediterranean since the start of this year. the eu provides tunisia's coastguard with funds and technical equipment - to stop migrants at sea. human rights organizations have long criticized the arrangement. at least 1000 people have died attempting the route since january. more and more bodies are being found in the area around sfax.

neila sybi, who works for the city hospital, says the situation is dire. >> our mortuary is designed to take up to 35 bodies. we currently have over 170. >> she says staff are now refusing to enter the building because of the appalling hygiene conditions. for the doctor and her colleagues, it's deeply distressing. >> we need a lasting solution, not just a short-sighted response. because things might ease for a while, but then we go back to square one. >> the pressure is growing: a social and economic crisis, coupled with rising racism, are driving many migrants out of the country. franck yotedje feels helpless. originally from cameroon, he's lived in tunisia for five years.

he runs an association that helps young migrants find alternatives to fleeing to europe- helping them secure jobs and a legal way of staying in tunisia. but ever since the country's president stirred up hatred against migrants, saying they brought violence and crime to tunisia, things have changed. >> after he said that in february and march, many migrants were attacked and injured. they lost their jobs, got thrown out of their apartments and so they had no choice but to try to flee to europe, even though they were completely unprepared. >> franck yotedje is a trained engineer - just like noah, who also wanted to stay in tunisia. he came here on a student visa, which has now expired. getting new papers is next to impossible. he doesn't know what to do or how to get by day to

day. >> i pay higher prices for certain products at the market than tunisians do. and i also have to pay more rent for my apartment. migrants are being made a scapegoat for many of tunisia's problems. they're blamed for the high levels of unemployment, poverty and national debt. negotiations to receive a bailout from the international monetary fund have stalled because tunisia's president is refusing to introduce reforms. instead, he's helped to stir up mistrust by promoting conspiracy theories. on the promenade in sfax, we find many are receptive to the racist rhetoric. >> they attack us, they mug people. these africans are good for nothing.

>> i think it would be good if the state would just send them away. they'll be nothing left for us otherwise. the best thing would be if they went straight to italy without stopping in tunisia. >> many migrants would also prefer to just leave. the italian island of lampedusa is less than 200 kilometres from here. we meet up with boubacar again. this time he has oumar with him. they're holding on to their dream of a better life in europe. my father, my brothers and sisters - everyone back home is counting on me. i can't just go back. i want to help my family out of their misery. >> it's the path to happiness. but it also worries me. when i look at the sea, i have many images in my mind. i think about all those i've known who didn't make it.

>> but they still plan to go, as soon as possible. they're just waiting for the day when they can get on a boat and finally leave tunisia. >> many of the fleeing castrated in a transit country like in our report from niger. >> mornings are the most pleasant time of day. it is still relatively cool. getting ready for another day's work. they come from sudan today for the turmoil of you years ago. their original plan was to get to europe.

>> i left sudan in 2015. the conditions back home were really tough. i wanted to go to libya. but when i got there i was tortured and mistreated. i realised that there would be no future for me there and no way of getting to italy or anywhere else in europe. it was in libya that i met my friend sefedine. we decided to head back to niger and try to set up a business." >> we had been on the road for a long time. and that was why we opted to stay in niger. we put together our savings and chose to invest in rickshaws. and as a result we're now able to send money back regularly to our families in sudan." >> they actually started out with a motorbike.

but later they were able to afford a rickshaw. later still, they invested in a second ricksaw. the refugee camp is five kilometres away from the city of agadez. that makes it very difficult for residents to get into the city. adam and sefedine realised there was a gap in the market - and their business idea was born. >> >> it's very difficult to find regular work here. there's no point just sitting around, waiting for someone to hire you. you have to build up your own business, otherwise time just drags." >> their first trip of the morning is to the main square in the refugee camp. this is where they find most of their customers. there are

always people wanting to catch a ride into the city - to go shopping or search for a job. after agreeing on a price, they get going. progress is slow, but at least it's a good road. >> "it takes a long time. but it's really beautiful. it reminds me of sudan. and we'll be there soon enough." >> or maybe not - first he has to deal with a breakdown. the rickshaw is old and the sandy conditions are a problem for the engine. in the end, everyone has to lend a hand before they can continue their journey. when they finally get to agadez, there's time for a break.

here, adam and sefedine chat to other rickshaw drivers. the conversation helps pass the time while they wait for passengers for the return journey. these days, they get on well with the other drivers. >> i had a chance to get to know the two of them. they've been driving for six months. i think it's good. they're not from niger, they're refugees. but the good thing is, they're not just sitting around complaining and waiting for someone to help them. they're africans like us, and as long as they're here legally, they can drive a rickshaw." >> but niger is generally struggling to integrate many of the refugees living within its borders - says mahamat nour abdoulaye from the un refugee agency. >> you always have to consider the needs of the society that

takes in the refugees. there are not many opportunities here. there are very few development projects in this region and local people also struggle to find work." >> the two men from niger however, have gradually been accepted - and are building new relationships. >> it wasn't easy at first. we had to learn the language to be able to integrate better when we're in the city. when we meet passengers in agadez, we're now able to communicate with them and negotiate a price. so we feel very comfortable here. we finally have a job and feel welcome in niger." >> shortly before dusk, they drive back to the camp with the last passengers of the day. business is running well. in the

evening, it finally starts to get cooler again. the pair have bought themselves a stereo system from their earnings. and they have a generator to provide electricity. for adam and sefedine, it's finally time to relax and enjoy the evening. >> it's the afternoon, and yohana cortesia is ready for customers at her small shop. she opened it only recently, daring to make a new start back in her home country of venezuela, after two years in neighbouring colombia. she fled the economic misery here. but now she says, things have changed. >> in colombia, most of my money went on rent, utilities and everything else. i was able to keep my head

above water. but here i have the advantage that i don't have to pay so much. and i no longer have the feeling of being in a foreign country. the price of living in exile was high, i missed a lot of things, like my culture! now i want to grow here, to invest in my business, a house, and my company. >> yohana cortesia is one of those who've returned to venezuela, either for family reasons or because things really have improved. during the worst years of the crisis, she was a teenager. it was shortly after the start of the coronavirus pandemic that she opted to leave her homeland. >> things were chaotic during the pandemic. the electricity kept going off, and i had to try to get money. at least i was still able to carry on studying. because of the pandemic, there was no work in the factories,

most of them were closed. and there were hardly any other jobs available either. everything just stopped" >> now yohana cortesia is allowing herself to dream again. she writes down all her income and expenses in detail, putting aside anything left over. she'd like to have her own house someday in venezuela. the returnees are bringing new ideas and hopes for the country back with them. artist patricia rabbath has also returned home after 13 years in panama. she's now incorporating new techniques that she learnt there into her works. >> in the beginning, i missed my family a lot. actually, i only came back to venezuela to pick up my passport, but the family warmth and the opportunities i then saw in caracas made me want to return for good.

and i've been here for a year and a half now. " patricia rabbath sells her artwork to shops, restaurants and wealthy venezuelans. she also earns money by giving courses to other artists. >> if you live here, you have to accept that there isn't always water, and there are lots of power cuts. many things that you don't experience in other countries. but there are also many good things that make up for the bad." >> life in venezuela's capital caracas has got a little easier, the security situation has improved. the shopping streets are full again. but the crisis is not yet completely over. many apartments in the city are empty, and their owners still abroad. economist victor alvarez told us more. >> more than seven million people left the country. many of

them sold everything. while most countries in this region have growing populations, venezuela's has declined. there are many houses that are unoccupied. the people who left, left everything. they left their homes and put them up for sale but there's no market to be able to sell them." the economy is slowly improving: the government now allows trade in us dollars. the united states for its part has eased some of the sanctions that had crippled many industries in venezuela. foreign companies are trying to return. but alvarez says it's not being made easy for them. >> there is still a lot to do. the country is far from returning to normal. caracas is a showcase example, but it's not representative, because the city is a bubble and very different

from the rest of the country. elsewhere the effects of the crisis are still being felt strongly. in most cities in the interior, there are still huge problems with fuel supplies. there are long queues at gas stations. it's a reason why many do still want to leave venezuela. in the western port city of maracaibo, a group of young men are planning their journey to the united states. they are all fishermen, no longer able to make a living in the trade. >> there are no jobs. my parents don't have work either, they barely manage to feed my little brother. sometimes there's nothing to eat. it hurts me to see them like this. that's why i want to leave, so i can help them and so everything will be okay." (5:24) but his mother is very worried about her son's plans to make the journey to the united states.

everyone here has heard about the risks involved, and the many people who disappear on the way, never making it to the us. i know it's very difficult for my son to go to the us, but it's for the benefit of his father, his brother and me. but i don't want him to go because he's my son. still, i know it's a good thing." >> derki and his mother make the most of the time they have left together. they hope that his exile will only be temporary and that one day he will return home. >> georgia has become a safe haven for those fleeing the war in ukraine. alongside many ukrainian

refugees, around 150,000 russians have fled to the south caucasian country - among them opposition supporters and those desperate to avoid conscription. batumi on georgia's black sea coast has become a magnet for thousands of russians. among them is maria from st. petersburg. like her compatriots protesting here, she's firmly against vladimir putin and the russian invasion of ukraine. maria was a supporter of opposition figure alexei navalny, who is currently imprisoned in a penal colony. she sees no future for herself in russia. >> a demonstration like this is possible in georgia. in russia, they'd just lock you away immediately.” >> russian citizens do not need a visa to enter georgia which made it easier for maria to make batumi her new home. the same applies for ilya. he fled after being called up

for military service to fight vladimir putin's war in ukraine. >> >> i see no reason to be part of this military operation. it's not justified although my parents have a very different opinion. we were always arguing about it, but the arguing came to nothing. there are millions of families who have this conflict. it makes me really sad that we can't agree on the issue.” >> ilya lives in an apartment here with four other russians. in his home town of yekaterinburg he worked as an it expert for a bank. he also had a side-job as a fashion model. that's the part of his old life that he misses the most. >> the fashion industry is non-existent in batumi.

there aren't any shows just the occasional photo-shoot. the modelling agencies are all in the capital, tblisi. but it's really expensive to live there because there are so many immigrants.” >> the cost of living in batumi has risen since the new arrivals from russia starting appearing. >> maria pays 500 euros a month for her small apartment. she took in her pet dog betty just a few days after arriving in batumi. maria is financially well-enough off. in russia she had a highly-paid job in programming with an american firm. and she's now found a new employer, based in israel. the georgian authorities make it fairly straightforward for the russians to find their feet, granting them residency and work permits within a matter of days. >> i registered as an independent contractor, which

is easy and only takes a couple of days. plus: taxation is really low for small businesses only 1-percent of your income. it's a unique and very attractive situation for it specialists, which is a big reason for so many programmers coming here. there are tens of thousands of us.” >> ilya likewise earns his income online as a programmer. he continues to work for his employer a bank in russia despite having fled military service. the 24-year-old is optimistic about his career prospects. since arriving in batumi he's set up a club where newcomers can learn how to make money from mastering strategy games. their aim is to become successful business people and get ahead in life. >> the club is based on “cashflow” a game that

involves financial literacy and is of huge interest among modern business people. the events are always fully booked which makes me really happy.” ideally, maria would like to move on from georgia to the eu. the problem there is the red tape and general difficulty in being granted entry especially with her russian passport about to expire. >> we want to go to spain or portugal, but i have to wait to get a new passport. since the war in ukraine it's been extremely hard to get a new russian passport from here. it takes at least six months so in my case probably in the fall.” >> the russians have given a boost to the economy here in a country with precious little manufacturing or heavy industry.

batumi's primary earner is tourism. >> there are a lot of cafés in town catering to russians and other refugees too. but it doesn't bother me. i'm a courier >> i'm a student, and it's impossible to rent an apartment here because the price is growing and growing every day. so it feels like i'm a tourist here and not a local, because everywhere there are russians“" who are at least tolerated here. the two groups largely live parallel lives. russia is the big loser here because it's young, highly-educated people with modern qualifications who are turning their backs on the putin regime, and who are in no rush to return.

>> you're watching dw news live from berlin. the head of niger's new national guard appoints himself the country's new leader. the general who led the coup that deposed the elected president is backed by the army and supporters on the streets. also coming up, vladimir putin courts african leaders in st. petersburg, promising to study their proposal to end the war in