OGCEYOD Cameroon; Opportunities and Risk in Migration (#Managing #Migration Risk in #Cameroon)

This one-day seminar was organised at the Ebenezar Baptist Church conference hall on the 26th August 2024 on the theme, “Opportunities and Risk in Migration.” The aim of organising this seminar was to reduce trafficking in persons, economic exploitation, modern slavery and fraud generated through illegal migration from Cameroon by training youths to assess risks, identify alternative career opportunities and making informed choices.

Faced with a multitude of challenges, Cameroonians, especially the youth have turned to daring coping mechanisms, chief among them, leaving the country at all costs. The ongoing armed conflict in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon (Anglophone Crisis) which started in 2017 with now over 6,000 killed, about 700,000 internally displaced and tens of thousands of refugees in neighbouring countries (and as far as Europe and North America), depriving nearly half a million youths of proper education, continues to fuel the rate of migration. Poor governance, inequality, insecurity in other parts of the country and a difficult economic climate has narrowed access to opportunities within the country while unscrupulous middlemen posing as travel facilitators sell dreams of a better life abroad. This exodus has exacerbated cases of trafficking of persons, resulting in deaths, a variety of severe human rights violations along the migrant trail and generated political crisis in destination countries in Europe and North America. For Cameroon too, there is cause for alarm. President Biya, in his National Youth Day address identified mass emigration of youths as a critical development challenge as it sucks away skills, talent and human resources which the country badly needs to plug deficiencies in education and health.

The following topics were be covered;
• Understanding of Migration
• Trafficking of persons and organised crimes
• Conceptions and Misconceptions of living abroad
• Impact of illegal migration
• Career Planning: Alternatives to Illegal Migration

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