Stopping illegal immigration of minors is possible
By: Adel Rochdy
Illegal immigration towards Western Europe is a phenomenon that emerged at the end of the last century, and that is still a major concern as it continues to threaten the Maghreb youth.
Commonly called “Hargua or Harka” throughout the region, illegal immigration is an ultimate desperate solution for thousands of young people who dream of the European Eldorado, even at the risk of losing their own lives.
Who are the contenders for this adventure that often ends either with death, or deportation to their home countries?
These young people, who form an urban underclass, are usually unemployed due to an early school failure, and are unable to find a solution for their daily misery.
Unemployment figures are alarming in the Maghreb countries (officially between 12% and 14% in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, and more than 30% in Mauritania), but illegal immigration is a false solution to a real issue.
What can we do then to prevent our youngsters from dying or being humiliated in detention centers in the host countries?
Maghreb States have undeniably taken drastic measures to prevent these young people from heading towards the unknown, but repressive solutions have never been effective, even if they are sometimes needed.
Therefore, we need to find core solutions. There are no miraculous solutions on this front, so only the creation of employment can stamp down this phenomenon.
Numbers, however, do not leave much room for optimism, as the International Labour Organisation (ILO) does not expect a boost in employment before 2011; that concerns young graduates more than unskilled manpower.
Creating wealth and jobs in the Maghreb countries is seemingly still a possibility for the region’s States.
Investors should be encouraged to focus on outreach activities such as agriculture, which may help create many jobs if structural reforms are undertaken.
Other sectors can also contribute to the creation of jobs such as local crafts through the exploitation of local products and regional traditions. Cultural tourism is also a promising niche.
In order to achieve this, we must reactivate and accelerate the upgrading process through professional education, internships and field training. Civil society associations should also provide psychological support to the youngsters, by guiding them, instilling in them the culture of effort that is sadly lacking among the younger generations, and teaching them to rely on themselves instead of seeking easy solutions.
Some projects were, in fact, achieved, and wealth was created, but this still falls short of expectations due to the inadequate mobilization of stakeholders, including civil society organizations that ought to get more involved in this fight for dignity.
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Your Comments
commentsAnonymous About about 1 year ago
It is true that the waves of emigration from the Maghreb to Europe in particular are a phenomenon from the last century, as they followed the independence of the Maghreb countries. I would like to shed light on an aspect that was not mentioned by the author of the article above, which is understandable. Nevertheless, it is an important aspect without which the image is distorted. Following the independence of the Maghreb countries colonized by France, people thought that they had recovered their freedom and sovereignty, so they started lifting up their heads proudly, but that didn’t last long. I’ll limit myself to Tunisia, but its example can be generalized while taking account of local circumstances. Bourguiba, who claimed to be liberal, democrat and pro-Western, began building a repressive police State modeled on the Soviet totalitarianism and fascism immediately after the independence. I quote the testimony published in Le Monde on September 10, 1988, by one of his closest collaborators who is none other than… Ben Ali, who ousted him a year earlier. “Bourguiba used to call me to proceed to a succession of bloody repressions instead of ushering a policy. Prisons were full. Arbitrary judgments prevailed, and we only thought about repression.” Human rights organizations will confirm that after the coup of Ben Ali on November 7, 1987, things only worsened. Corruption is undermining the country like an aggressive cancer. The mafia related to the regime are increasingly prospering. It is not true that illegal emigration candidates come from the urban underclass only. They are also from wealthier families. Young people do not only dream of a European Eldorado, but they are also seeking fresh air instead of the dictatorship’s sulfur.
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Anonymous About about 1 year ago
This topic is hot and relevant, let’s remember Gueddafi’s recent statements in Rome about the five billions that Europe must disburse to the Maghreb countries for them to curb, or even put an end to clandestine immigration. It should be noted that the only official reaction was that of the Tunisian diplomacy supporting such a plan. In terms of immigration itself, its causes and dimensions, I think that social ills and unemployment are a direct cause of this growing phenomenon. In response to the previous comment, I would like to simply mention that immigrants come mainly from disadvantaged environments, and even those belonging to wealthier classes aim mainly to improve their material conditions, and do not care about dictatorial regimes. Moreover, a young person from a wealthy environment prefers to travel “legally” instead of facing the horrors of the waves and nostra marea.
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Anonymous About 5 months ago
That’s really weird. They can’t do anything. He’s traveling to other countries.
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