Checkmating Irregular Migration : New Project Targets Over 1.5 Million Youth

The Ministry of Youth and Civic Education, MINJEC and the United Nations Migration Agency or the International Organisation for Migration, IOM on January 6, 2024 in Yaounde signed a Memorandum Of Understanding, MOU to promote youth in migration dynamics. The agreement aims to strengthen collaboration between MINJEC and IOM on crucial issues related to migration, youth and civic education, as part of the “Citizen and Patriotic Migration: JEM-Cameroon” project.

Ills Of Irregular Migration 
The MOU is accompanied by a project that seeks to reach out to over 1.5 million Cameroonians. Through sensitization against irregular migration, promotion of employment (the major reason for migration) and wealth creation based on Cameroon’s enormous resources. Especially in line with government’s import substitution policy.

Commitment To Work Together 
The Minister of Youth and Civic Education, Mounouna Foutsou, signed for his ministry. While the IOM Head of Mission to Cameroon, Abdel Rahmane Diop, signed for his organization. Present at the event was the Minister of Secondary Education, Prof. Nalova Lyonga, the Minister of Employment and Vocational Training, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, and representatives of the Ministry of External Relations and the Ministry of Economy and Regional Development.

Migrants As Wealth Creators 
The IOM Chief recalled that President Paul Biya in his Youth Day speech in February 2024 spoke of immigration, but warned that it must not be done anyhow. Reasserting that migrants are also wealth creators. “We will work with MINJEC to boost local youth employment,” he noted. Explaining that the signing of the MOU also saw the launch of a fundraiser for youth activities in the country. 
“Meanwhile, the MOU will help construct a future for everyone – youth, men and women in Cameroon and Cameroonians abroad – to realise their dreams,” Abdel Rahmane said. IOM is working on a bigger strategy on the integration of returning Cameroonian migrants, he disclosed. 

Victims Of Irregular Migration 
Minister Mounouna led the gathering in observing a minute’s silence in memory of 27 African migrants who died last week in a boat capsize off the coast of Tunisia. “This must end! This is the raison d’etre of the signing of the MOU,” he explained. He commended IOM for supporting youth programmes, disclosing that a service for the integration of Cameroonians in the Diaspora exists in his ministry. 

Enhancing Migrant Livelihoods 
“Since February 2017, MINJEC has been implementing the PARI-JEDI programme because irregular migration affects youth who dream of a better future, with all the risks. MINJEC has been trying to tackle the problem since seven years through PARI-JEDI,” the Minister said. “We look forward to the dividends of the project as soon as possible. We will work with IOM to prevent irregular migration and promote policies that enhance the livelihoods of migrants. Great work has been done in this regard,” he announced. 

As A Development Driver  
According to the IOM Head of Mission to Cameroon, when properly managed, migration becomes a development driver, noting that some 375 million US dollars come in annually as remittances from migrants to promote innovation and impact projects in their countries. He commended MINJEC for putting staff at the disposal of IOM, adding that Cameroon was one of very few countries in the world to do so. Diop said with youth making up over 75 per cent of Cameroon’s population, IOM’s work naturally focuses on them - proposing alternative migration that offers great opportunities.    

Growing Female Migrant Figure 
“Migration concerns youth in the first place – and men and women alike. In the case of Cameroon, there is a growing number of female migrants. The signing of the MOU also saw the launch of the youth and migration project. It seeks to reach out to over 1.5 million Cameroonians... Youth will be sensitized on the risks of irregular migration by proposing income-generating activities for them in the country alongside the private sector,” Diop stated. “Signing an MOU is not sufficient. This is why we conceived a project to present to our partners," he added. 

Promising Project 
Following the address of the Head of State on Youth Day in 2024, MINJEC initiated the Citizen and Patriotic Migration: JEM-Cameroon project. It seeks to enable Cameroonians to migrate regularly and also prevent irregular migration. Our work with MINJEC has provided the understanding that many young migrate irregularly because of lack of jobs, opportunities, trust and hope in the country.
“As a UN agency, IOM believes it can bridge the gap, join the government to implement a concrete project that targets more than a million young Cameroonians and promote vocational training. We will be working with the diaspora and the private sector in JEM-Cameroon project,” Abdel Rahmane said.  

Cameroon’s Attractiveness
According to Minister Nalova Lyonga, the problem with Cameroonian youth is that of mentality, which her ministry has been working on. “The West is attractive, but Africa is also attractive for migrants to return and settle,” she noted. Minister Tchiroma said Cameroonians will not migrate if they could find what they are looking for back home. 

Vocational Training As Key
“Thousands of unemployed Cameroonians need to be trained in various trades because the number of trades people is not enough. People have certificates they cannot make use of because they cannot be transformed into job creation opportunities. The diaspora needs to help the country by setting up more vocational training centres and sharing their experiences with learners. General education has shown its limits. There can be no development without vocational training. Vocational training is the backbone of the economy,” Minister Tchiroma emphasized. 

Vast Migratory Movements 
Cameroon currently faces significant migratory movements. According to a study conducted by the IOM, the country recorded 2,222,307 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in 2023, as well as 579,000 international migrants. Addressing issues related to migration in his message to Cameroonian youth on February 10, 2024, President Paul Biya expressed said: “The growing desire of a section of our youth to emigrate to other nations is increasingly worrying, especially when it turns into an obsession and even concerns people who have succeeded locally in their social integration.”

Urgent, Durable Solutions 
These migration phenomena create an urgent need for sustainable solutions that can only be achieved through strategic collaboration. It is with this background that the Memorandum of Understanding was signed by MINJEC and IOM. The two institutions committed to foster  initiatives that promote the integration of young people into migratory dynamics and the development of educational programme relating to migration issues.

Understanding JEM-Cameroon  
Each year, thousands of young Cameroonians leave the country in search of better prospects abroad, often risking their lives in the process. This phenomenon has detrimental effects on both the economy and society, leading to a significant loss of local labor. To counter this trend, it is essential to create local employment and entrepreneurial opportunities. 

Project Objectives 
The project aims to raise awareness among young Cameroonians about the dangers of irregular migration and promote the socio-economic opportunities available in Cameroon to encourage regular and responsible migration. It also seeks to mobilize the private sector to fund innovative and sustainable initiatives that help retain young talent in Cameroon. By supporting this initiative, companies contribute to inclusive growth and the socio-economic stability of Cameroon. 

Next Plans 
In this context, IOM's mission in Cameroon will organize a fundraising event in Douala on February 20, 2025. This unprecedented event in the country aims to bring together private sector actors, the diaspora, embassies, and international organizations to join forces and make a significant impact on the youth attracted to irregular migration pathways. 

2024-2028 Strategic Vision
This initiative aligns with IOM’s Global Private Sector Engagement Strategy and the Director General's 2024-2028 Strategic Vision, which emphasizes collaboration with the private sector to protect migrants and promote regular migration. This strategy calls on private companies to support efforts to address the root causes of irregular migration, improve local opportunities, and foster a stable business environment for growth. 
 

Youth Unemployment
In 2023, the overall unemployment rate in Cameroon was estimated at around 6.1%. However, youth unemployment (ages 15-35) is particularly concerning, reaching approximately 39.3%, according to some studies. This indicates that young Cameroonians, who represent a large portion of the workforce, face significant challenges in accessing formal employment. 
 

Informal Sector Unemployment 
According to World Bank data, over 90% of jobs in Cameroon are within the informal sector. This sector includes activities that are unregistered or unregulated by the state, offering little job security and few social benefits. This highlights a heavy reliance on precarious and often low-paying jobs. 
 

Graduate Unemployment
About 23.0% of young graduates struggle to find formal employment after completing their studies, according to the third Employment and Informal Sector Survey conducted by the National Institute of Statistics (INS) in 2022. This situation is partly due to the gap between the skills acquired in school and the demands of the job market. 

Demographic Growth, Job Demands
Cameroon is experiencing rapid population growth, with ...