Over Half of Arab Young Adults Want to Migrate

More than half of the young people in the Arab world are looking to leave the area and migrate elsewhere, according to a survey by BBC Arabic and the Arab Barometer.

The survey revealed that an average of 52 per cent of those aged 18 to 29 said that they were looking to migrate abroad. With some countries surveyed the proportion is much higher, such as Morocco, where 70 per cent — more than two-thirds — claiming to be considering emigrating, The Jerusalem Post reports.

Dr Mohammed Masbah, director of the Moroccan Institute for Policy Analysis in Rabat, commented on the data saying: “The number itself is alarming and has several components.

“Politically, there is a lack of confidence in the government as youth believe the government cannot solve their problems,” he said, adding: “Socioeconomically, youth unemployment is high; the belief is it will get worse.”

The most sought after destination for migration, according to the BBC, is Europe, followed by North America.

While the survey shows a rise in the number of non-religious people in the Arab world, it also suggests more respondents in countries like Morocco and Algeria believe that honour killings are more acceptable than homosexuality.

Experts have previously predicted huge waves of migrants coming to Europe, mainly from Africa, with French-American journalist and professor Stephen Smith claiming that within 30 years Europe could have a population of 150 to 200 million Africans.

In 2017, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker declared that Europe had a “clear need” for mass migration from Africa, stating that Europe “will clearly need immigration in the coming decades”.

Globally, the number of people wanting to migrate is thought to be around 750 million, according to research published by Gallup. The research firm found several countries where more than half of the adult population wanted to move abroad, such as Sierra Leone — where 71 per cent said they would like to leave their country.

Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter at @TomlinsonCJ or email at ctomlinson(at)breitbart.com