Youths and Emigration: Amidst Seeking Job Opportunities and Facing Challenges

Ahmed Bajoaim – Sawt Al-Amal (Voice of Hope)

Emigration has become a major trend among young Yemenis lately. The main reasons are the economic, social, and political challenges facing the country. The ongoing armed conflict has severely worsened the economic situation, leading to business closures and skyrocketing unemployment. Young Yemenis believe that opportunities abroad offer them a chance at a better life and achieving their professional and personal ambitions.

While emigration might seem like a temporary escape from economic, political, and social crises, it’s far from easy. Challenges begin before leaving Yemen and continue after arriving in the destination country.

These challenges include the costs of emigration, legal hurdles related to visas and residency, and cultural and social challenges in their new homes. This report explores the main challenges young Yemenis face.

Emigrant Yemeni youth face numerous challenges impacting their social, economic, and mental well-being. These include feelings of alienation and isolation, especially when struggling to adapt to new cultures, facing racism, being treated as second-class citizens, job exploitation by employers, legal and administrative difficulties in settling their legal status in host countries, cultural adjustment difficulties, and economic problems. These pressures make adapting and surviving in these countries incredibly difficult. Despite this, many continue to overcome these obstacles in search of a better future.

The Start of the Journey

Faris Bazamool is one of many young Yemenis who emigrated seeking a better life after facing unemployment at home. After graduating from university in 2020, he hoped to find a job matching his qualifications. However, Yemen’s deteriorating economic situation left him jobless. In 2021, he decided to leave for Saudi Arabia, joining the wave of young Yemenis emigrating to neighboring countries and Europe in search of any work, regardless of their educational background.

Faris recounts his experiences with the challenges he faced from the outset. He points out that obtaining (or buying) a visa is the first major hurdle, costing thousands of Saudi riyals. He also had to go to Aden to complete the rest of the travel procedures and obtain official documents – a costly and time-consuming process. For young Yemenis, these sums are enormous and difficult to afford, forcing many to borrow money, incurring debts they can’t repay.

Regarding illegal immigration, Faris stresses that it’s incredibly risky, describing it as a choice between “getting through or dying,” especially when trying to reach neighboring countries like those in the Gulf.

Abdul-Hakim Bawazir, who had a similar experience to Faris Bazamool, eventually left Yemen for Saudi Arabia to find work. He highlights a major challenge facing young Yemenis before deciding to emigrate: “One of the hardest things is gathering the money for the visa – the first and most essential step for anyone wanting to emigrate.”

Abdul-Hakim mentions that many young people consider leaving to improve their lives and seek a decent life and a better future, but face a significant financial obstacle: the visa cost, ranging from five to six thousand Saudi riyals. Because of this high cost, many young people are forced to take drastic steps, such as selling personal belongings like cars or their mothers’ or wives’ jewelry, to secure the necessary funds.

He adds further details about the additional challenges facing young Yemenis trying to emigrate: the difficulty of obtaining visas isn’t just about the high cost; it also involves the risk of fraud, especially given the current situation in the country. Lack of oversight of emigration offices allows for illegal practices that victimize young people wanting to emigrate, making emigration incredibly difficult.

Challenges Abroad

Bazamool sees many challenges facing young people when they first arrive abroad. These include adjusting to a new environment and the host country’s laws. A major worry, especially in the first year, is culture shock and anxiety about the future. When arriving in Saudi Arabia, for example, Yemeni youth often focus on Kafala transfer (sponsorship transfer) and getting their legal status sorted—a complicated and potentially stressful process that can drag on for years.

He points out that many university graduates end up working outside their fields, making it hard to adapt to their jobs. These young people feel let down after years of studying, realizing their dream careers may not materialize. This disappointment can make it easy to abandon their studies and specializations, essentially starting their professional lives from scratch.

He adds, “An expat faces many challenges and pressures, both mental and physical, in the workplace. The type of pressure varies depending on the job, but a common mental strain is being far from family and home. Cultural differences and workplace diversity can also be stressful for expats.”

A Turn to Illegal Immigration

Yazan’s story (a pseudonym) is an unusual mix of legal and illegal immigration. He took advantage of a temporary work opportunity with a company in Europe, becoming an illegal immigrant after the project ended. While his team was preparing to return to Yemen, Yazan decided to stay behind, arranging with a smuggler to move to another city, eventually to another country, where he sought asylum and eventually settled there.

Although he got what he wanted, his actions seriously harmed his former employer, financially and legally. The company had to pay substantial fines for losing an employee.

Yazan’s story raises questions about immigration ethics and the legal and financial repercussions for employers who trust their employees. Yazan’s actions could negatively impact Yemeni youth who travel temporarily for work or study in the long term. International companies may impose stricter rules to prevent similar incidents.

Addressing these challenges requires comprehensive strategies for youth emigration. This involves national-level efforts, providing community support and local economic opportunities for young people. Young people should also be empowered with the skills needed to adapt and integrate into new environments if they choose legal immigration. There’s also a need to raise awareness of the challenges and find creative, sustainable solutions that allow young people to benefit from emigration while minimizing risks—for individuals, organizations, and society as a whole.