African Confederation of Professional Organizations of Artisanal Fisheries (CAOPA) would like to draw your attention to a worrying issue affecting young people in Africa: uncontrolled immigration to Europe. This phenomenon has tragic consequences, with many young people losing their lives in the Sahara desert or trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea.
Mbour, 10 July 2023
To
African governments,
Human rights NGOs,
Professional fishing organizations,
Non-state actors,
etc.
Dear partners and stakeholders,
It is essential to understand the root causes of this mass exodus of African youth, in order to develop appropriate initiatives to retain young people in Africa and offer them decent jobs. The key factors contributing to this situation are as follows:
- Lack of economic opportunities: Young people in Africa face high unemployment and a lack of decent jobs. Limited future prospects drive them to seek opportunities elsewhere, hoping to find a better life in Europe.
- Political instability and conflict: Armed conflicts, political instability and economic crises in some regions of Africa create a climate of uncertainty and danger for young people. They feel compelled to leave their countries to escape these precarious situations.
- Poverty and inequality: Persistent poverty and social inequality are key factors in uncontrolled immigration. Young people aspire to a better standard of living and are looking for opportunities to escape poverty and exclusion.
- Mismanagement and lack of transparency in the governance of natural resources:
We would also like to highlight the impact of mismanagement and lack of transparency in the governance of natural resources as a major factor contributing to the migration of young Africans to Europe. Inadequate management of marine resources, including overexploitation, illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, as well as a lack of transparency in the allocation of fishing licenses, fishing agreements and joint ventures, can discourage young people from taking up small-scale fishing as a viable career.
As actors in the small-scale fishing sector, we recognize our responsibility to tackle this issue. We believe that targeted initiatives can help retain young people in Africa by offering them decent jobs and sustainable economic opportunities.
We therefore recommend:
- Capacity building: Invest in training and skills development for young people in the small-scale fishing sector, with a focus on sustainable practices and marine resource management.
- Development of value chains: Promote the creation of local value chains in small-scale fishing, by encouraging the processing and marketing of small-scale fishing products. This will generate jobs and income for young people.
- Access to funding: Facilitate access to affordable sources of finance for young entrepreneurs in small-scale fisheries, in particular through microcredit and financial support programs.
- Strengthening partnerships: Encourage collaboration between governments, human rights NGOs, professional fishing organizations and other stakeholders to implement integrated programs aimed at creating economic opportunities for young people.
- Strengthening governance: Encouraging governments to put in place clear policies and regulations for the sustainable management of marine resources. This includes combating illegal fishing, improving the monitoring and control of fishing activities, promoting transparency in the granting of licenses, and negotiating agreements with other countries.
We urge African governments to recognize the importance of this issue and to take concrete measures to support the development of small-scale fishing as a source of employment for young people.
We also call on governments of African countries, human rights NGOs and small-scale fishing organizations to set up concrete projects and programs aimed at retaining young people in Africa.
By joining strengths and investing in the future of African youth, we can help alleviate the root causes of uncontrolled immigration and create a brighter future for Africa’s youth.