Yemeni Youth Emigration: Amidst Challenges and Achieving Educational Opportunities

Afrah Borji – Sawt Al-Amal (Voice of Hope)

Yemen’s education system is seriously declining due to ongoing conflict. The system has practically collapsed; educational institutions lack basic necessities like infrastructure, qualified staff, and funding. Many schools are closed due to damage or lack of teachers, forcing many children and young people out of the education system.

Emigration has become a way to escape this grim educational reality. Young people seek countries offering supportive learning environments that encourage innovation and research, providing opportunities currently unavailable in Yemen. Studying abroad is seen as a chance for a better future, but it comes with many challenges, including travel and living expenses, as well as the psychological and social difficulties of being far from home.

Mohammed Husain Al-Daba, General Director of the General Directorate of Media and Publications at the Ministry of Education, warned of the catastrophic consequences this educational collapse will have on the country’s future.

In an exclusive statement to Voice of Hope newspaper, Al-Daba stated that comparing the current educational situation to the past is almost impossible. After a period of noticeable progress under political and social stability, the education system is now suffering a sharp decline due to the conflict, which has destroyed educational infrastructure. Thousands of schools have been destroyed or severely damaged, depriving students of safe places to study. There’s also a shortage of teachers, with no new hires in the education sector for years, leading to a severe lack of qualified educators.

He explained that teachers suffer from low salaries that don’t cover their basic needs, causing many to leave the profession. This is a result of the ongoing conflicts leading to displacement, uneven student distribution across schools, and a deteriorating economy, all negatively impacting the quality of education.

A Fatal Journey in Pursuit of Knowledge

Izz Al-Din Al-Awadhi (31), a graduate in Arabic Language, represents the hardworking youth striving for educational opportunities despite the challenges. Al-Awadhi, who grew up under difficult educational circumstances in Yemen, early on realized that achieving his educational aspirations required significant effort and sacrifice, even if those opportunities came with hardship.

Al-Awadhi’s account sums up the painful reality faced by ambitious young Yemeni men and women pursuing academic goals but encountering an education system lacking basic necessities. He says, “The severe deterioration of Yemen’s education system needs no lengthy explanation. It’s enough to understand that this reality is a major obstacle for young people with a clear vision and goals, preventing them from achieving their ambitions.”

He believes Yemeni youth are forced to consider emigration as an alternative, hoping that leaving the country will open up new avenues to good education and the opportunities they’ve always dreamed of—a solution that often proves successful.

He clarifies that the path young people choose to seek education abroad isn’t easy or without challenges, asking, “Is this road paved or full of obstacles and difficulties?”

He also pointed out other motivations for considering emigration, including the desire to experience new cultures, study in a different educational environment, gain new academic and technical skills, and develop personal and professional abilities.

The Beginning

Izz Al-Din Al-Awadhi’s journey from Yemen to Germany is a story full of challenges and adventures he faced to achieve his academic dream. He said, “My journey from Yemen to Germany, passing through many countries and stops like Malaysia, lasted five years. I faced many challenges, difficulties, and great dangers.”

The idea of emigrating first occurred to Izz Al-Din around 2009, initially as fleeting thoughts or “hallucinations,” as he described them, but it evolved into a serious goal over time. By 2014, he started seriously considering and pursuing emigration, with Saudi Arabia being his first stop. However, he had to return midway for various reasons, perhaps related to difficulties or surrounding circumstances.

But Izz Al-Din didn’t give up. He kept trying relentlessly until, in 2017, he decided to travel, regardless of the challenges. This journey took long.

Izz Al-Din Al-Awadhi recounts, with poignant detail, his willingness to undertake emigration, even “at the cost of his soul, his psyche, and everything he owned.” This sentence reflects both his determination and despair; he was ready to sacrifice everything to achieve his emigration goal, driven by many reasons that made staying in Yemen seem unsustainable.

He said, “The opportunity to travel to Germany arose—a smuggling opportunity. I call it an opportunity because I was used to adventure and had long aspired to obtain a non-Yemeni nationality, not out of hatred for Yemen, but to be able to enter developed countries. When the opportunity came, I thought, Why not?”

He recounts how his situation in Malaysia during the COVID-19 period was very similar to his situation in Yemen when he decided to emigrate, and how the pandemic severely affected him. He lost many jobs he relied on for income during that time, and his monthly income dropped from about $1500 to $300 or $400—not enough to cover even housing costs. This financial crisis brought him back to square one, just like when he decided to leave Yemen for Germany.

A Journey of Death

He describes his painful and frightening experience in his account of the “journey of death” he endured while trying to escape his homeland in search of a better future. He says, “I never imagined that I would face death so closely and clearly, or that I would one day tell this story. That journey was like a trip to hell, full of danger and suffering—a journey that almost cost me my life, but I clung to life and held onto the hope of reaching safety.”

He continues, “The forests witnessed our tragedy, our fear, our hunger, our bloody sweat. We walked day and night, stepping over the corpses of dead dreams and the bodies of those who came before us and were unlucky. Every drop of water was a treasure, every breath of air a blessing, and death lurked everywhere, in every corner, in every moment. But we continued, driven by hope and the will to survive.”

He added, “We finally reached Germany, the land of dreams, but found ourselves in another hell—a hell of waiting, doubt, and despair. The refugee camp was a psychological prison no less harsh than real prisons. Each passing day increased our suffering and brought us closer to despair.”

“I started learning German with all my might. I studied day and night, trying hard to adapt to the new life, and language was my key to success, my passport to a new world.” This is how Izz Al-Din described his determination to achieve his dream of academic advancement.

After a long period of patience and hard work, Al-Awadhi managed to achieve his dream of studying in Germany. It was a moment of triumph for him, a moment that proved to everyone that strong will and genuine determination can overcome any obstacle.

Emigration from Izz Al-Din’s Perspective

From Izz Al-Din Al-Awadhi’s perspective, emigration is a paradox: life and death intertwined. He sees it as life in certain areas—academics, career, sometimes finances—provided the emigrant stays focused and avoids distractions, which are often plentiful.

However, he also describes emigration as “death” in social, spiritual, and emotional realms. While it might open new opportunities, it can also bring loneliness and isolation, and erode values.

Al-Awadhi doesn’t promote pessimism but urges young emigrants to focus and work hard. He encourages those who have emigrated or plan to, to remember why they left home and family: to achieve personal and professional goals.

The Challenges

Journalist Asim Al-Khadhmi highlighted many challenges Yemeni students face in their academic and professional journeys, both at home and abroad. A major challenge is the prevalence of nepotism and cronyism in securing educational opportunities overseas, denying many qualified students those chances. This also leads to a lack of accurate information about educational opportunities abroad, especially in non-English speaking countries.

He added that another problem is students being deceived by unreliable parties offering fake job opportunities overseas, which leads to exploitation and financial and legal problems.

Finally, he pointed out that Yemeni citizens studying abroad face huge difficulties finding work after graduation. Even with advanced qualifications, Yemeni graduates struggle to adapt to the demands of foreign job markets. This is due to several factors, including skills mismatches and a lack of clarity regarding the practical and language skills that many employers consider essential.

Generally, the main goal of Yemeni students emigrating for education is personal, academic, and professional development, and opening up to the world to achieve their academic dreams and contribute to their future and the future of their community.