A desperate search for safety: Thousands of migrants from West Africa face uncertain futures in New York City after fleeing devastating floods and droughts in their home countries.
Thousands of Senegalese migrants, including Mohamed, 45, sit cross-legged on the carpet before Friday afternoon prayers at a mosque in the South Bronx in New York City. The Senegalese farmers recounted their memories of crops as they sat next to one another.
Mohamed recalled growing maize, watermelon and peanuts on his family farm in Diourbel, Senegal, on land he had inherited from his grandfather in 2005. Twenty years later, Mohamed is one of thousands of migrants from West Africa who crossed the US-Mexico border in recent years to seek out a new life in New York City.
The decade before he came to the United States was marked by recurring cycles of floods and droughts that compounded tensions between him and his extended family. Drought only added to his difficulties, as his home's earthen walls opened up into holes, unable to withstand the rain during Tropical Storm Agatha in May 2010.
"Moisture would soak through our mud house. The rain was very, very heavy," Mohamed said. "When it rained, everyone was caught off guard because for a very long time we didn't have any rainfall, there was drought."
He recalled growing maize, watermelon and peanuts on his family farm in Diourbel, Senegal, on land he had inherited from his grandfather in 2005.
As he spoke inside the mosque, about 40 other West African immigrants sat next to him. When we asked the group who had also experienced floods and droughts, a show of hands indicated that about a third of them had.
The data analysis by Columbia Journalism Investigations found more than 1,800 Senegalese migrants from western and central regions crossed the US-Mexico border between 2019 and 2024. A year-long investigation revealed that tens of thousands of migrants who crossed the US-Mexico border in 2024 came from localities repeatedly hit by hurricanes, floods, and droughts.
While there is more research and observation of climate migration inside countries and regions, we wanted to better understand how the climate crisis may be influencing irregular migration to the US. Our research found that tens of thousands of migrants who crossed the US-Mexico border in 2024 came from localities repeatedly hit by hurricanes, floods, and droughts.
Many migrants like Gricelda left their homes after years of accumulated stress, including repeated storms, floods, and droughts that have destroyed livelihoods. Gricelda experienced her deciding moment in 2018, when she chose to leave the country where she was born after years of not being able to stop the stormwater from seeping into her mud-wall home.
Gricelda recalled growing corn, beans, potatoes, apples. Her village had clear signs that the growing cycle was changing: the beginning of the rainy season was constantly shifting, and when it did come, the rain fell hard – like Tropical Storm Agatha, which inundated fields and obliterated crops.
The droughts also diminished family harvests. If the rain arrives too late, a family's harvest may not grow as it normally would, Gricelda said. "Maybe it won't yield 100%, it will yield 50%," she said. "And because the season is over, it's already a loss for the year."
The climate crisis has played a major role in driving people north to the US-Mexico border, according to researchers. Climate change is intensifying droughts and storms – a dangerous mix for families who depend on the land.
While some families might have the resources to leave their countries and migrate elsewhere, others stay and can become "trapped," Bermeo said. Her research found a significant spike in families migrating from rural areas in Central America to the US when drought hit the region in 2018.
Mohamed watched scenes of New York City's Times Square on television in his Diourbel home, admiring the flashing lights and supersized digital screens. Videos on TikTok and Instagram, often made by smugglers posing as travel agents, promoted what seemed like comfortable journeys.
He eventually sold a horse, some cows, and a cart for about $4,500 and borrowed money from relatives to pay more than $10,000 to travel to the US. He turned himself in to border patrol agents in Arizona, who detained him overnight before releasing him.
In New York City, he found a different world than the flashy videos he had seen. Mohamed found solace sitting on a prayer mat reading verses from the Qur'an. It reminded him of his father, a religious teacher.
A desperate search for safety: Thousands of migrants from West Africa face uncertain futures in New York City after fleeing devastating floods and droughts in their home countries. The Senegalese farmers recounted their memories of crops as they sat next to one another.
Thousands of Senegalese migrants, including Mohamed, 45, sit cross-legged on the carpet before Friday afternoon prayers at a mosque in the South Bronx in New York City. The Senegalese farmers recounted their memories of crops as they sat next to one another.
Mohamed recalled growing maize, watermelon and peanuts on his family farm in Diourbel, Senegal, on land he had inherited from his grandfather in 2005. Twenty years later, Mohamed is one of thousands of migrants from West Africa who crossed the US-Mexico border in recent years to seek out a new life in New York City.
The decade before he came to the United States was marked by recurring cycles of floods and droughts that compounded tensions between him and his extended family. Drought only added to his difficulties, as his home's earthen walls opened up into holes, unable to withstand the rain during Tropical Storm Agatha in May 2010.
"Moisture would soak through our mud house. The rain was very, very heavy," Mohamed said. "When it rained, everyone was caught off guard because for a very long time we didn't have any rainfall, there was drought."
He recalled growing maize, watermelon and peanuts on his family farm in Diourbel, Senegal, on land he had inherited from his grandfather in 2005.
As he spoke inside the mosque, about 40 other West African immigrants sat next to him. When we asked the group who had also experienced floods and droughts, a show of hands indicated that about a third of them had.
The data analysis by Columbia Journalism Investigations found more than 1,800 Senegalese migrants from western and central regions crossed the US-Mexico border between 2019 and 2024. A year-long investigation revealed that tens of thousands of migrants who crossed the US-Mexico border in 2024 came from localities repeatedly hit by hurricanes, floods, and droughts.
While there is more research and observation of climate migration inside countries and regions, we wanted to better understand how the climate crisis may be influencing irregular migration to the US. Our research found that tens of thousands of migrants who crossed the US-Mexico border in 2024 came from localities repeatedly hit by hurricanes, floods, and droughts.
Many migrants like Gricelda left their homes after years of accumulated stress, including repeated storms, floods, and droughts that have destroyed livelihoods. Gricelda experienced her deciding moment in 2018, when she chose to leave the country where she was born after years of not being able to stop the stormwater from seeping into her mud-wall home.
Gricelda recalled growing corn, beans, potatoes, apples. Her village had clear signs that the growing cycle was changing: the beginning of the rainy season was constantly shifting, and when it did come, the rain fell hard – like Tropical Storm Agatha, which inundated fields and obliterated crops.
The droughts also diminished family harvests. If the rain arrives too late, a family's harvest may not grow as it normally would, Gricelda said. "Maybe it won't yield 100%, it will yield 50%," she said. "And because the season is over, it's already a loss for the year."
The climate crisis has played a major role in driving people north to the US-Mexico border, according to researchers. Climate change is intensifying droughts and storms – a dangerous mix for families who depend on the land.
While some families might have the resources to leave their countries and migrate elsewhere, others stay and can become "trapped," Bermeo said. Her research found a significant spike in families migrating from rural areas in Central America to the US when drought hit the region in 2018.
Mohamed watched scenes of New York City's Times Square on television in his Diourbel home, admiring the flashing lights and supersized digital screens. Videos on TikTok and Instagram, often made by smugglers posing as travel agents, promoted what seemed like comfortable journeys.
He eventually sold a horse, some cows, and a cart for about $4,500 and borrowed money from relatives to pay more than $10,000 to travel to the US. He turned himself in to border patrol agents in Arizona, who detained him overnight before releasing him.
In New York City, he found a different world than the flashy videos he had seen. Mohamed found solace sitting on a prayer mat reading verses from the Qur'an. It reminded him of his father, a religious teacher.
A desperate search for safety: Thousands of migrants from West Africa face uncertain futures in New York City after fleeing devastating floods and droughts in their home countries. The Senegalese farmers recounted their memories of crops as they sat next to one another.
This is so heartbreaking, the way these people are being forced out of their homes by climate change. I mean, I know that's a huge issue, but it feels like we're just pushing them around instead of helping them. Like, what's gonna happen to all these families who are stuck in this cycle? 
like what even is happening here? people are literally running away from the effects of climate change to find a safe place in the US but its not even guaranteed they'll be accepted or have a place to live... its heartbreaking reading about these farmers who had to leave their homes and livelihoods behind due to droughts and floods, and now they're just sitting in a mosque in NYC trying to make sense of it all 
... another group of ppl forced to flee their homes due to climate change and make a perilous journey to the us in search of safety. it's heartbreaking, but have we really learned anything from these cycles? 
It's heartbreaking. These people are basically being forced to abandon their way of life because of something that's largely caused by human activities 
.
I just got back from the most amazing hike over the weekend 
and I was thinking about how beautiful it is when nature can be both beautiful and terrifying at the same time 
! And then there's the sun breaking through after the storm, revealing all this new life that was hidden beneath the surface 
... it's just wild. Anyway, back to these West African migrants, I feel so bad for them and their families who are struggling with the climate crisis 
. It's amazing how the climate crisis can be so unpredictable and affect people's lives in such a drastic way 
. The fact that many of them left their homes after years of accumulated stress due to repeated storms, floods, and droughts is just devastating 
. They're making videos of themselves promoting "safe" journeys, which is just crazy talk 
. I mean, I know people need help finding a new life, but this is just exploitation 
.
. I hope we can raise awareness and take action before more people have to go through this 
. So maybe we can just focus on supporting those efforts instead of criticizing everyone who gets caught up in this mess?
They deserve so much better than that. But seriously, it's heartbreaking to see them facing such uncertainty and hardship after fleeing their homes due to climate change. We should be doing more to help them integrate into society and provide them with safe housing. I'm all for open discussion about climate migration, but we need to take action too! 
.
& he's still tryna find solace in NYC 
️ he must be so lost & homesick 
.
. The stories of people trying to escape the climate crisis by making false promises or taking risks is terrifying 
. More research and discussion are needed about this issue - we can't just sit back and watch people suffer due to our inaction 
.
. But these West African immigrants are doing just that, with nothing but a suitcase & a dream 
. We need to be more understanding of their plight & more willing to help 
.
. We can't just sit back & watch as they struggle to survive in a world that's rapidly changing 
️. We need to be the change we want to see, starting with compassion & empathy 
.