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Never has the idea of migration towards the North met with so much enthusiasm by the Sahelian youth, nor nourished so many dreams. And yet, the young migrant is not faced with the hungry man’s dilemma of “leave or die.” Thanks to family support and community solidarity, most of the young migrants do not live in poverty, nor are they likely to become homeless tramps. Yet this support seems to weigh heavily on them, as they suffer from their inability to achieve social goals. It is in this context that we review the difficulties faced by the young Sahelians in carrying out their plans of migration and in accepting the barriers to personal success. These plans take the form of a brave commitment, quite unrelated to their personal and material situation. Far from offering a simple and idyllic vision of life, community support comes at a heavy price; indeed, the oppressive environment may result in their being marginalised within their community. In this situation, exile seems to offer a way of attaining autonomy and also of achieving personal goals.