(Wednesday August 31st, 2016 Issue)
West
African governments and authorities, as well as experts, on Sunday had a
regional meeting in Cote d’Ivoire, where they agreed to harmonise their efforts
in the fight against illegal migration by youths, through a framework that
would help to achieve the objective.
Ecowas
authorities have been very good in putting up plans with regard to illegal
migration, but have been very sluggish in ensuring these plans come to pass.
The
renewed vigour of joint efforts to combat this menace has to be complemented
with serious talks about the real causes and solutions to the problem of
illegal migration.
Over
the years, tens of thousands of our youths in Africa have been risking their
dear lives to enter Europe via the back-way. While some are eventually entering
Europe to reside in countries like Spain, Italy, Greece, Germany and other
places, under harrowing and dehumanizing conditions, lots of them are dying en
route to Europe in the desert of North Africa and the Mediterranean Sea.
Countless
number of strategies, sensitization campaigns, international and national
projects and huge amounts of financial resources have been put in place or are
being rolled out to curb the illegal migration of our youths to European
countries.
It
seems all these resources being invested in the fight to curtail the illegal or
back-way travel to Europe is like throwing water on sand, with no fruitful
results, as the youth have continued in desperate fervor to penetrate Europe
through the back-way.
Much
of the problems and miserable situations we are faced with today in Africa are
perpetuated by abject poverty in African countries and bad governance, such as
misplaced and wrong economic policies, corruption and embezzlement of state
resources, human rights violations, power struggles and conflicts.
West
African governments and authorities should be wise enough, at this point in
time, to know that no meaningful and lasting development will be registered
without industrialisation, infrastructural development and technology growth.
Turning
our raw materials and produce into finished products, through industrialisation will create job opportunities for our youths,
generate the necessary international trading currencies through profitable
exports that will stabilise our currencies, such as the Dalasi, and keep our
economies buoyant.
Our
authorities would have to really look into the deeper causes of illegal
migration to bring solutions to this menace, and change the tide of our youths
seeking greener pasture at all cost – dead or alive.
“The
youth need tangible support and
transformed Africa.”
The
Point
