Blogger Laments Youth Emigration

SMN No. 6, July 25, 2010

A popular Syrian blog has raised in recent weeks the question of the growing trend of Syrian youth emigration. In a July 8 post, the Nsamat Al-Sham, or the Breezes of Damascus, blog lamented the fact that youngsters  are travelling abroad to pursue their dreams and flee a difficult economic situation.

The blog said that Syrian youth have no faith in their future and suffered from “premature aging”.

Syrians under 30 make up the biggest proportion of the population., but high levels of unemployment, nepotism and corruption make it hard for them to find work. Large numbers of youth today have turned to Persian Gulf countries in search of a more secure future.

The blogger listed the obstacles that face young Syrians today, complaining that connections were more important than talent and competence for getting jobs. He added that marriage has become an unattainable dream for youth because of the high costs of living. He wrote that owning a small house has become a “fantasy” for most youngsters.

Most commentators agreed with the writer’s assessment. One said that there was no “chink of light or any hope for the future” in the country.

Another spoke of the feeling of estrangement in one’s country. He said that poverty created a feeling of non-belonging.

He said that he preferred to leave Syria because “the injustice of living abroad is more bearable that injustice in one’s country”.