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Momodou
Denmark
11785 Posts |
 Posted - 02 Nov 2006 : 13:02:09
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Foroyaa Editorial:
SPAIN, GAMBIA AND THE ESTRANGED YOUTH
Poverty is the scourge of the 21st Century. Governments have agreed to reduce it by half under the Millennium Development Goals by the year 2015, which is 9 years from now.
In the Gambia 69% of the population are living in abject poverty despite the claims that the economy grew by 8% in 2005 and by 5% in 2006. The projection for 2007 is infact more fanciful.
Gambia’s poverty however affects the youth who constitute 60% of the population more than any other sector.
Needless to say, since most parents can no longer take care of their families, it is the older children in the families who are now taking care of the young ones. This is precisely why pressure is on the youths to become income earners. The lack of employment possibilities have compelled many youths to migrate to Europe in search of greener pastures. This often require huge investments to get visa, passports, air tickets or pocket money to travel by land. Relatives who have succeeded in going often send 3000 to 5000 dollars to finance such enterprises. Parents with compounds, cattle or other assets often sell such assets to finance such trips. Hence when a person is deported a whole life time asset perishes and hopes are dashed. What Spain is doing with governments like the Gambia, to the point that our own officers travel to Spain to come with our nationals beats our imagination. No government should restrict the freedom of movement of her citizens. It is the government of another country, which may establish conditions for lawful or unlawful entry into a country and establish guards to enforce their own laws. Migration from one country into another is as old as human civilization. The very United States was founded on the migration of Pilgrim Fathers from Europe into the land of the American Indians. Hence, policing is not the answer. The real answer is collaboration to fight poverty.
This requires enlightened national and foreign policy that can foster the type of free movement of goods and people from one country to the other that are mutually beneficial.
Before such an enlightened policy is established, a laissez faire attitude to the movement of youths is the best policy. In this way those who are deported will not transfer their anger to people at home. They will see it as a by-product of their struggle to escape poverty. They may draw the lesson that instead of getting frustrated, it is better to also take part in building a society that can guarantee them prosperity and one that can be respected in the world to the point that her citizens will be able to move freely.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 94/2006, 1-2 November, 2006
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