Egyptian youth migrate in search of better standards, opportunities
by: Salma El Saeed
Fifty percent of Egyptian youth have expressed a desire to leave the country in pursuit of an improved life and better opportunities, according to a report published by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
According to the IOM report, which was last issued in 2011, 73 percent of those interviewed cited lack of job opportunities as a reason behind their desire to migrate and 62 percent of the participants cited bad living conditions as a factor.
Many of those Egyptians do not want to leave Egypt permanently, but instead for a short period of time during which they hope to expand their educational, financial and cultural horizons.
“I want to explore different countries and be exposed to the cultures, traditions, ethics, habits, and spirits of different people around the world,” said Adham Sami, a Petroleum Engineering junior, who wants to travel for three to eight years after completing his undergraduate studies.
Sami said that he wants to begin his career abroad, while simultaneously gaining life experiences that he doesn’t believe will be possible once he settles down and starts a family.
The Egyptian economy has declined considerably in the years following the January 25 Revolution.
According to the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS), the unemployment rate in Egypt is at 13 percent, in comparison to nine percent at the end of 2010.
This economic downturn has significantly affected a large portion of Egyptians, particularly those between the ages of 15 and 29, who account for three quarters of Egypt’s unemployed, according to CAPMAS.
Seleem Sharaf, who transferred from AUC to Erasmus University Rotterdam in Holland, said that he decided to leave AUC and Egypt behind in order to get a higher quality of education and living, in addition to building his character by exposing himself to new experiences.
“I felt that I had outgrown the bubble I was in and felt that traveling abroad to continue my education would let me experience new things that might help me in the future,” Sharaf said.
The quality of education in Egypt is currently of great concern. According to the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Competitiveness Report for 2013-2014, out of the 148 countries Egypt ranked last in the quality of primary education and 118 in higher education.
Additionally, although some educational institutions hold high rankings in the Middle East region, their rankings are significantly lower when compared on a global scale, as annual reports of university rankings by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) show.
According to their website, QS is “A global provider of specialist higher education and careers information and solutions.”
Many groups, specifically women, in the Egyptian society face difficulties in the country today.
According to the annual WEF 2013 Gender Gap Report, Egypt’s ranking is 125 out of 136, which is two places lower than last year and 16 places lower than in 2006.
On the other hand, some Egyptians do not think it is wise to leave Egypt in pursuit of a “better life.”
“The economy in Egypt is not at a great place right now but it will get better eventually,” said Heba Hussein, an AUC alumna who studied Economics.
Hussein said that she believes the current economic situation leaves much room for improvement and only those who stick around will be able to reap the benefits of the imminent upturn.
She added that the country lacks many goods and services, which is an excellent opportunity for entrepreneurs to fill these gaps with innovative business ideas.
Iman El-Khodary, adjunct professor of economics, said, “The issue of unemployment isn’t just about a lack of jobs in the market; it’s about people’s general unwillingness to work hard,” adding, “They want to [earn] a lot of money without putting in a lot of [effort], but this will not work, especially in Egypt’s current state.”
She said that the country would not progress unless everybody starts working hard and doing their jobs correctly.
