My journey from illegal immigrant to writer: The reality behind Europe’s dream

Books by Joel Savage documenting the real struggles, risks, and experiences of African immigrants in Europe.

 

Many people in Africa still believe that Europe transforms lives overnight, but my own journey proves otherwise. Through cultural diversity and lived experience, 

I share my story not as a complaint, but as a lesson for those who dream of Europe without understanding its realities. I am Joel Savage, a freelance writer shaped by creativity, adversity, and the long road of migration.

AN AFRICAN IN ANTWERP, A resident's story

The tale of an African in Belgium


Living in Antwerp has given me a front‑row view of the challenges, pressures, and realities faced by many immigrants in Belgium. My experiences reveal a side of the city that rarely appears in mainstream discussions, especially when it comes to how foreigners navigate daily life, work, and safety.

The Belgium-based African journalist Joel Savage has published a pocket-sized book, An African in Antwerp. It’s his true-life experience and a personal encounter about how he lives in a city where one in three adults is known to vote for the Extreme Right Party.