The Narratives – Mohamed Miah

By Mohamed Miah

We’ve all heard the saying, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” It’s a simple proverb, one your parents might’ve thrown at you when you were making risky choices. But for immigrants in the West, it’s more than a cliché—it’s survival advice. Because if you’ve migrated here, leaving behind everything in your homeland, you need to stop and think, what’s your fallback plan?

Too many of us have come west, settled down, and built lives here, assuming that the rules won’t change. That we’ll always have a seat at the table. But history shows us otherwise. When times get tough, immigrants are the first to be blamed and the last to be protected.

So what happens if the basket drops?

Roots That Don’t Fit the Soil

Let’s start with the obvious, we aren’t from here. And that’s not a bad thing, but it comes with consequences. Many of us come from lands where our families have lived for thousands of years. Our bodies, our diets, and even our genes were shaped by those places. Now we’re here, in the cold, with vitamin D deficiencies, diabetes, and obesity. And we wonder why our health takes a hit.

It’s not just the food or the weather—it’s everything. Life here is different, and your body knows it. Scientists might say it’ll take generations for our genes to adapt, but will we even last that long? With the rise of nationalism, racism, and immigrant-blaming, the West is starting to feel less like a home and more like a waiting room for the inevitable.

The Nationalism Worm Turning Ugly

Let’s not sugarcoat it, the right wing is on the rise everywhere. Look at Europe, the US, even the UK. Every election cycle brings new policies aimed at immigrants. Every headline screams about immigrants being a burden. Suddenly, we’re the reason for housing shortages, hospital queues, and even bad weather, apparently.

History shows us where this leads. Nationalism starts as harmless patriotism, then twists into exclusion, then oppression. We’ve seen this before, Nazi Germany didn’t start with gas chambers; it started with blame. “Protecting our own” sounds innocent until you’re the one being shoved out.

Today, the laws protect us. Tomorrow, they might not. Immigrants could lose citizenship rights, jobs, or even basic protections overnight. Think it won’t happen? Ask the Windrush generation how they feel about trusting the system.

The Trap of Burning Bridges

Here’s the hardest part to talk about, some people made false claims to get here. I’m not here to judge—it’s easy to see why. You’re told life will be better in the West, that you’ll earn more, that your family will respect you for making it. But when you arrive, the dream fades.

You face racism, loneliness, and regret. And now your own country won’t take you back because of the lies you told to leave. The bridges are gone. You’re stuck between a place that doesn’t want you and a homeland that won’t forgive you.

It’s harsh, but it’s real. And it’s why I say, don’t cut all ties with where you came from. Even if it’s a small connection—a house, land, family—it matters. Because you never know when you might need it.

A World Exploited by the West

We need to talk about how the West treats the rest of the world. Look at the countries immigrants leave behind, they’re often exploited, polluted, or left to deal with the fallout of climate change. Western companies dump toxic waste, flood markets with cheap goods, and let entire nations drown—literally and figuratively.

And yet, when people flee these conditions to the West, they’re called opportunists, criminals, or worse. The hypocrisy is staggering. The West creates the problems and then locks its doors when the victims come knocking.

Why You Need a Safety Net

This is why you need to think carefully about where you place your trust. Staying in the West is fine—it’s your right to want better for yourself and your family. But don’t put everything into this one basket. Keep something back in your homeland. Maybe it’s land, a house, or just relationships you can lean on.

Because if the tide turns—and let’s be honest, it’s already turning—you’ll need options. The West is becoming harder to navigate, not easier. And with nationalism on the rise, it’s foolish to assume we’re immune.

Final Thoughts

I’m not here to scare you—I’m here to warn you. This isn’t about giving up on life in the West, it’s about being smart, being prepared. The world is shifting. History is repeating. Don’t let it catch you off guard.

The choice is yours, will you leave yourself vulnerable, or will you keep a foot in the door of your past? Because the future doesn’t wait, and neither should you.