No One To Host Refugees: Its Time Africa Saved Her People!

From Africa to other parts of the world, refugee crisis has become rampant. Many countries across the globe are not warming up to the immigrants for various reasons.

Just over a year ago, Kenya was making headlines after announcing its decision to close the world’s largest refugee camp, citing insecurities. Dadaab camp is home to more than 300 000 people that have fled war in neighboring Somalia and other nations in the larger Eastern Africa.

A court ruling however, reversed the decision terming it illegal.

Majorly, this is the situation happening elsewhere in the world. Refugees face immense challenges, one of them being lacking a home and the rest of world is not ready to host them.

America and Europe are also putting strict restrictions to regulate or put to an end welcoming refugees in their territories. Through President Donald Trump, the US withdrew from the global community for refugee protection.

European Union leaders on the other hand, are continuously searching for mechanisms to curb Africa migration. Human rights groups have criticized the move. However, their arguments seem to have fallen on deaf ear. Last Wednesday, the EU said it will stick to its policy of providing aid to governments and agencies to prevent refugees from taking the trip overseas.

According to the United Nations, the world is facing its greatest humanitarian crisis since 1945. Stephen O'Brien UN’s humanitarian coordinator told a meeting in March more than 20 million people across four countries in the Middle East and Africa were at risk of starvation. The four countries; Yemen, South Sudan, Somalia, and northeast Nigeria, all have one thing in common- conflict.

Investing in young people

One way to ensure that youths are engaged in worth-while activities is through entrepreneurial ventures.

According to Strive Masiyiwa, teaching young people to be self reliant, and proactive will encourage them to stay home, instead of taking the treacherous journey abroad in search of greener pastures.

"I realized that if we don't do something to help young people create jobs in the African economy... that Africa's progress would be reversed," Masiyiwa, the founder and CEO of Econet Wireless, told CNN.

"I understand we face the problem of corruption, bribery, bad policies," he says. "But it doesn't mean you should take to crossing the Sahara or the Mediterranean."