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Families and schools have a crucial role to play in supervising and protecting young people against malicious incitement and ill-intentioned calls for irregular migration based on misleading stories conveyed on social networks, experts and specialists in law and migration said on Thursday.
In statements to MAP, they said that the root causes of this international phenomenon are multiple and complex, noting that some young people, in search of quick solutions and illusory successes, often turn to these misleading and malicious narratives, hence the imperative to intensify awareness campaigns and care at the level of school, the family unit, and society in general.
For Sarah Boukri, migration expert and doctor in political science, the family plays a “vital role” in preventing illegal immigration, particularly in the face of the perfidious incitement conveyed on social networks.
If the family offers these young people a stable framework, with open dialogue on the real risks of irregular immigration and viable alternatives, it can also help to protect them from these perverse influences, she explained, adding that by raising awareness among young people and strengthening family ties, the family unit can limit the attraction of these risky paths to a supposedly better life on the other side of the Mediterranean.
However, she pointed out, the family cannot be the only institution responsible for prevention, especially when it comes to minors.
“Schools have an equally important role to play. Young people spend a large part of their time at school, which makes it an appropriate place to promote preventive education against the dangers of irregular immigration and the false promises of social networks”, she stressed.
In concrete terms, the migration expert detailed, several initiatives can be put in place in schools, such as the integration of modules on migration and social networks, awareness-raising by professionals such as NGOs and even people who have lived through difficult migratory experiences, media and social network education workshops, and the encouragement of entrepreneurship to show these young people that there are great opportunities in their own countries.
“Raising awareness of the dangers of illegal immigration should be a collective task and mission,” she said.
Referring to the programs and strategies put in place in favor of young people, Boukri stressed that the efforts of the Moroccan government are undeniable, pointing out that several initiatives have been taken, such as the National Youth Employment Strategy, the promotion of entrepreneurship, and the creation of training and innovation support infrastructures.
However, she underlined, despite the relevance of these actions, there is a profound disconnect between a significant proportion of the young population and these sustained efforts for development and progress.
To remedy this situation, it is essential that these initiatives be the subject of broad, more targeted and inclusive awareness-raising campaigns, to make these programs more accessible and understandable to young people in marginalized regions, the aim being to restore their confidence, firstly in their own potential and secondly in the possibilities for success in their country, according to the expert.
For her part, Hind Tak-Tak, a professor at the Faculty of Legal, Economic and Social Sciences in Ain Chock (Casablanca), stressed that social networks have become a “means of indoctrinating minors”, noting that in the absence of parental control, young people quickly fall under their negative influence.
The target groups are young people and children, often from underprivileged backgrounds, she added, calling for these social networks to become an effective tool for raising awareness of the harmful effects of irregular immigration, using language tailored to young people and running campaigns on the risks of this phenomenon.
Schools should also contribute to this awareness-raising effort, providing an environment conducive to knowledge and self-fulfillment, in addition to creating spaces dedicated to sport and culture, she explained, noting that the role of parents’ and neighborhoods’ associations should also be strengthened to convey strong messages against irregular migration.
With regard to policies dedicated to youth employment, she recalled the importance of the reforms undertaken by the Kingdom as part of the New Development Model to improve the quality of primary, secondary and university training, adding that several initiatives have also been undertaken to stem the risk of this international phenomenon, which is growing in scale.
“The number one enemy of young people is idleness,” she said, advocating the creation of more spaces for sporting and cultural development, and the promotion of programs to combat school drop-out.
Source: map
