Why Awdal Youngsters Are Eager To Illegally Immigrate (Tahriib)?

There are many researches that have recently carried out in order to figure out the main routes of illegal migrations. These studies have ranked that Somalia is among the highest countries that its people illegally immigrate to wealth countries such as UK, USA and SCANDANEVIAN countries.

In addition, many studies implemented by UNATED NATION have reported that 60% of these people lost their lives on the deserts and oceans and these statistics have additionally shown that 75% of those people are ages between 15 and 35 years old. Illegal immigration refers to immigration across national borders in a way that violates the migration laws of the destination countries. Under this definition, illegal immigrant is a foreigner who either has illegally crossed an international political border, be it by land, water, or air, or a foreigner who has entered a country legally but then overstays his/her visa. There are many reasons that cause to immigrate or to travel illegally. In my point of view, the three main reasons   that cause illegal migrations are economic reasons, Discouragement of elders and rulers of the country and as well as the poverty.

The first reason is that young generations of the third world countries immigrate for economic reasons. It is clear that  unemployment rate is dramatically very high  in those regions and standard of living is very low and some regions have reached under the normal situation of economic these regions include Somaliland. Somaliland economic has desperately weakened year after year, month after month and day after day and its regions have suffered the problem of unemployment. For instance, if you try to take real observation about this issue, you will see that fresh graduates from the universities of the country especially AMOUD UNIVERSITY just  wake up early  in the morning and sit  restaurants beside the streets.

On top of that, AWDAL youngsters go to education institutes and most of them finish their education successfully then there is no plan for them. After graduating from university they strive to find job and practice what they have learnt but every thing goes wrong because government nothing make plan for these new generations. Therefore, Somaliland youngsters immigrate illegally to wealth countries looking for better life and an employment opportunities and it is not to surprise that they risk their lives since unemployment rate jeopardize their future career.

The second reason is that discouragement of elders and rulers of the country. Saying discouragement of elders sounds great but it is not outlandish and it is true that elders and senior workers do not give chance for their next generation. Instead of early retirements, they prefer to stay longer their positions and this reason resulted in loss of future of the youngsters. Statistically, it has proven that 85% of workers both public and private institutions are above in their late fifths age and they hang about their positions more than fifteen years after the collapse of the former regime of Somalia.

Moreover, these elders have practiced and adopted that former regime’s system which is full of corruption and mismanagement of the limited resource of the region. Consequently, the economic of the country is downward and getting worse. Therefore, youngsters observe all these problems and they cannot take action against these unpopular systems and instead of taking any action, they prefer to immigrate illegally. On the other hand, if these young people formally form groups and strive to start their own businesses, the system and environment do not support to develop their talented ideas and that is why they lost themselves on Libyan oceans.

The third reason is that youngsters immigrate to wipe out the serious poverty of the region. There is an outsized poverty in the region which has forced the youngsters to travel illegally and this problem has led a great loss of young generations of the region, which eventually brings a huge diversion and lack of talented and skilled people of the province. Besides that, poverty has created a great displacement inside the region and this resulted in those youngsters of the province become completely disappointed and unbearable.

Furthermore, there is a study that have supported and proved that there is unlimited poverty in the region. This research carried out by a group of AMOUD graduates in 2004 which has shown that 90% of dwellers in the province get support and remittance overseas and that means if the families do not depend on someone overseas, they will starve and cannot survive without that support, additionally, these families cannot avoid to paid educational expenses of their children and other needed costs. Therefore, youngsters must try to immigrate illegally and support their families if they survive from the thirsty, risk of the desert and darkness of the tides inside the oceans, which is likely seems that most of them or illegal immigrants cannot, because of that they do not know how large the risk of the boats they are taking as well as unknowing the long road they are going to take.

Some people believe that youngsters force their parents to support and help them to migrate illegally. These critics argue that there is enough peace and education system and they are saying that there is no reason they can loss their lives and take risks to travel abroad countries. Furthermore, the proponents’ main argument is that they believe young people can create opportunities and they can apply their knowledge on real life. Granted, it is clear that there is good education and peace in the region compared to other regions of Somalia, AWDAL has good quality in terms of education.

Nevertheless, no one can deny that corruption has weakened the economic development of the region as well as mismanagement of its resource and this problem has led that young people to be risk takers when it comes to travel illegally. In addition, all the studies carried out by both local and international NGO’S have declared that there is a huge unemployment rate in Somaliland and that is why young generations immigrate illegally. Therefore, no one can put the blame on the youngsters and it is clear that those take the responsibility of the youngsters those lost their lives on illegal migrations.

In conclusion, in my view, elders, intellectuals and senior educators of the region should take the responsibility of those young people who lost their lives on Libyan oceans and there must be solution for this problem except just talking and sorrow what happened, and also they must prevent not to occur again. On top of that, solution must be based on the needs of the youngsters and simply the leaders of region must take action in order to reduce the poverty and the unemployment rate of the province. Before taking action, they must set a plan to develop the standard of living in the region as well as preparing its strategy to enhance those plans. Also, leaders and intellectuals of the region must focus on creating job opportunities and encouraging both local and foreign investors by not restricting them in terms rules and regulations.

PREPARED BY: Mohomed Muhumed Ainan

Email: shakiib87@hotmail.com