Are we thinking ahead? [Archives:2002/13/Focus]

Mohamed Zaid Al-jerhoom
[email protected]
In my previous article I dealt with the outrageous unemployment problem in our country, since being unemployed too, I had decided to go abroad, hoping for better opportunities. However, I guess I am destined to live out of my beloved country.
I had to get a visa from the Saudi Arabian embassy to start the routine immigration procedure.
What struck me was the huge number of Yemenis waiting in long lines at the embassys gate. More than 200 Yemenis apply daily to try their luck in getting an escape ticket out of Yemen and into the neighboring kingdom.
They seemed to desperately want to leave, as if a war has erupted or a deadly epidemic has taken its course and they want to run for their lives.
The government of Saudi is to be thanked for allowing such a number of Yemenis to apply daily. We must be grateful for their continuous support and acceptance of our terrible economic reality.
What is the role of our government in this regard? Are they concerned about the huge number of Yemenis applying for immigration regardless of their education, illiteracy, age, profession, or occupation?
I know that the government is in great need of a hard currency, but is it on the expenses of the poor people?
Coming back to the main point, while getting my paperwork done, I had to talk with a lot of these applicants. The younger ones claimed they had to leave schools in order to support their families. They also said education in general is useless, whereas the older ones proclaimed their departure to provide their loved ones with a better life standards since the cost of living in Yemen has become to high compared to income. They emphasize that most Yemenis these days could not afford even the daily expenses.
All of those I spoke to say that the government seems to be so dependent on its people’s earnings abroad, its as if it has no other source of revenue.
The government is elected to serve the people and to provide them with requirements in all walks of life. However that is not the case on the ground.
If we have a look at developed countries such as Italy, we find the Italian government takes great concern in the emigration of its people, and the increasing number of elderly people compared to the younger generation. They are taking broad steps to deal with the future.
While we in Yemen tend to be worried about today but usually are not concerned about tomorrow, including the future consequences of the increasing immigration cases.
I know if you ask an ordinary man whether he would prefer saying or leaving, he will gladly prefer leaving because of the depression and frustration of the deteriorating living standards. The pain and suffering of his family compels him to do so.
Another example of perfect governance is the Japanese administration, which is so worried about its elder generation being neglected, that it has decided to re-employ retired people and utilize some of their invaluable expertise.
We are not asking our government to rise to the Japanese example. All that we are asking is to employ the young generation? The Yemeni youth are the pillars of any nation. They are the present and the future.
The government should at least take precautionary measures regarding the probability of the return of hundreds of thousands of Yemeni immigrants to their country for any reason. We remember what happened in 1990 when a politically motivated-decision caused two million Yemeni immigrants to come back in the form of human influx.
Our country is rich with natural resources. It has historical and geographical features that could attract tourism and enhance the economy. The country has all the factors to make Yemenis living here live a decent and luxurious life. So where have those resources gone?
Who is the beneficiary?

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