Barnsley man on taking part in show

A lorry driver who participated in the “Open Eye” journey for the reality TV show said he had changed his life.

Nathan Ramington, from Burnsley, and five others traveled from Davore to the war zone and refugee camps in Lebanon, Syria and Somalia for the Channel 4 series.

The journey created a copy of many UK immigrants through smuggling routes.

After returning home, the 33 -year -old said that the experience felt “lucky” and although some of his thoughts about immigration had not changed, but now he realized that he was “good ticket” in life Has found

“We were talking to some people on the journey and I was really putting their roots,” he said.

“These were just good people. They had backgrounds, jobs, but all of this ended because of terrorism and” bad people “in the world.

“But even those who come are also” bad people “. It is very difficult to overcome. You don’t know who is coming.”

Starting with Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, the group traveled to the world’s largest refugee camp, crossed the North African desert, climbed Italian Alps overnight, and finally from France to a small boat. Crossed.

“I have never felt like this,” Mr Ramington recalled the market in Mogadishu.

“I have never seen so much poverty in my life.

“These people are literally fighting to survive.”

The Dadab refugee camp was “very strange,” he said.

“They have started building towns and shops and restaurants.

“The desert days were sometimes close to 57 degrees,” said Mr Ramington. “Being 6 feet and about 24 24 stones, that heat kills you like someone’s business.”

And although the desert nights were frozen, he said the biggest problem was not a shortage of temperatures or water but local wildlife.

“We were laid on the floor under a piece of tarpaulin in which the scorpion was literally two feet away, it could kill me,” he said.

“All this has been found to compete with you.”

The group then climbed the Alps in Italy at night, which to detect immigrants.

“It took about 20 hours and we literally climbed 10,000 feet overnight,” he said. “Really, really cold, really tired.”

Crossing the channel in a small boat, he said: “It was terrible. The waves, 13-14 hours. I was never so bad.”

Mr Ramington said he went to Channel 4 shows with “open mind”.

Although he said he did not have harsh views about immigration, he objected to a fine of $ 10,000 like himself if any illegal immigrants found without their knowledge in their car. Goes

The Home Office said that “the UK’s legitimate trade business”, such as helicares, could be fined under a government -entering civilian fines scheme, but because of legitimate businesses to cross small boats. They could not be fined.

Mr Ramington said that they had a particularly impact on seeing children in combat areas and refugee camps.

“He has made me realize that there is more than 9-5 jobs and bricks and mortar in life.

“If you’ve got a baby, you don’t know how lucky they are.”

Listen to the highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC soundsCatch with the latest See the North event Or tell us a story you think We must cover here.