Blurb

For the nighttime crossing over the narrow stretch of the Strait of Gibraltar, which separates Morocco and Spain, Africa and Europe, the third world and the first world, smuggler organizations demand 2,500 euros. For Rashid, a day laborer and tailor's assistant struggling to survive in the slums of Tangier, this amount represents two years' worth of earnings. Yet, the fortress of Europe beckons: "If something is so protected, it must be valuable, right?" To provide for his family, Rashid embarks on the "Harraga," the illegal entry into the European Union. For the dream of a better life, he mortgages his future: as a modern "debt slave" without rights, he must work off the costs of his journey on greenhouse plantations in Almeria, Spain. Gradually, Rashid comes to realize the full, horrifying extent of the plight of African refugees and undocumented migrants in Europe, who drown by the hundreds on their way to Europe or produce food for Western European discount stores under slave-like conditions in Spain.

For his eye-catching graphic novel "Invisible Hands," Finnish author and illustrator Ville Tietäväinen conducted extensive research in Morocco and Spain, speaking with refugees, undocumented workers, border officials, and human traffickers. The comic author spent five years working on his most important work. The graphic novel sparked controversy in Finland and became a bestseller. It was awarded the Finlandia Prize. "Invisible Hands" tells a fictional yet meticulously documented story that unfolds daily in Europe. Two euros from every copy sold are donated to Pro Asyl. "One of the strongest long comic narratives to be published in German this year." (Lars von Törne, Tagesspiegel) "A gripping comic" (Andreas Platthaus, FAZ).