The Issue of “Youth Migration in Yemen” Briefly in (Sawt Al-Amal)

Sawt Al-Amal (Voice of Hope) – Haneen Al-Wahsh

Yemen has recently witnessed a growing wave of youth emigration abroad, a phenomenon reflecting the scale of the crisis suffered by the Yemeni people amid the ongoing conflict, now in its tenth year. Young people, who should be in schools and universities, are heading to neighboring countries, such as Saudi Arabia, in search of job opportunities and a more stable life.

Unemployment and insecurity were the main drivers of this illegal immigration; young people find themselves trapped between the hammer of poverty and the anvil of unemployment, in addition to the economic collapse and the high cost of living in most Yemeni governorates, which have exacerbated the crisis and pushed these young people to take risky routes, hoping to find a life that removes the burden of the tragedies they are experiencing.

Challenges and Factors

Issue 65 of “Sawt Al-Amal (Voice of Hope)” newspaper addressed the phenomenon of Yemeni youth emigration from multiple angles, highlighting the main reasons pushing young people to emigrate, the challenges they face during their journey, the effects on individuals and society as a whole, and the role played by official and unofficial organizations in supporting this group and reducing the impact of the phenomenon.

The issue also analyzes the economic motives, which are among the most prominent reasons for the emigration of Yemeni youth; many young people suffer from unemployment and weak economic opportunities in their homeland due to the ongoing conflict and the sharp rise in the prices of goods and services, which has made emigration a choice for many young people in search of a better life and a more stable future. In addition to economic factors, psychological and social motives exist, represented by feelings of frustration and despair as a result of the ongoing conflict and the loss of hope in improving living conditions within Yemen.

The issue dedicated space to reviewing the challenges and solutions facing young people in their emigration from various aspects; it explains the difficulties in obtaining entry visas, the risk of exploitation in host countries, legal problems related to residence and work, and a lack of awareness of their rights, especially in host countries, which exposes them to exploitation by employers and to working in harsh conditions. Some solutions were also presented from the perspective of experts and specialists to improve the situation of Yemeni youth in host countries by providing opportunities for education and vocational training, facilitating access to labor markets, providing psychological and social support programs to help them adapt to the conditions of emigration, and providing information about their rights to help them adapt and integrate into their new communities.

With the continuation of the conflict in Yemen, many young people have been driven to consider emigration in search of safety and stability. Much of Yemen’s infrastructure has been destroyed, leading young people to fear an uncertain future in their homeland and exacerbating the economic and social situation.

Here lies the role of international and local organizations in supporting Yemeni emigrant youth by providing services to them. This role includes providing shelter and healthcare, ensuring children’s education, providing psychological and social support to reduce their suffering, documenting human rights violations, and assisting in obtaining international support.

Influential Roles

The issue also highlighted the role of official institutions in Yemen, which are part of the solution to the emigration issue; some are striving to facilitate travel and emigration procedures and provide guidance to emigrants on how to integrate into host countries and mechanisms of cooperation between them and organizations to assist emigrants.

The role of the media in highlighting the suffering of Yemeni emigrants abroad through media reports and raising awareness about the rights of Yemeni emigrants, which in turn contributes to putting pressure on governments and international organizations to provide the necessary support, was also discussed.

Although emigration is a phenomenon that affects young people in general, Yemeni women face special challenges, including social values that may restrict women’s freedom of movement. However, a large percentage of them are forced to emigrate due to economic and security conditions. With emigration, women face additional problems such as difficulty accessing their legal rights in host countries, in addition to being exposed to exploitation or violence.

Through the implementation of numerous reports, different viewpoints were reviewed, showing that for many young Yemenis, education is one of the main reasons for emigration; studying abroad provides them with an opportunity to expand their knowledge and acquire new skills, which helps them improve job opportunities upon returning to their homeland or settling abroad, through scholarships to other countries. Yemeni youth can also obtain advanced academic or vocational education and build a better professional future.

Social and psychological conflicts are also among the factors that drive many young people to emigrate. Conflict and the constant loss of loved ones, in addition to a lack of opportunities in Yemen, deepen the feeling of isolation and despair among young people, leading them to consider leaving the country. Emigration can often disrupt the family structure; some may be forced to leave their families behind in Yemen or other areas of emigration, creating psychological and financial tensions for families, especially those who rely on the financial support emigrants provide.

In conclusion, experts in various journalistic fields offered diverse opinions on how to address the issue of emigration, especially for young people; some recommend providing a stable economic environment within Yemen by strengthening development projects and supporting young people to create job opportunities in various fields and specialties, while others believe it is necessary to increase support for local and international organizations that focus on rehabilitating young people and providing educational opportunities within the country.