Youth and the Future: The “Future” Wants to Migrate!

The politicians of the ruling class always say, "the youth is our future". However, today's young people, who are considered as the future of society, are faced with a dead end.  They have the feeling that "there is no future for us here". There is a seriously growing tendency to seek the solution in going abroad. This idea is expressed in every area where young people are present, from universities to high schools, from workplaces to street interviews. At the current stage, the conditions in Turkey force young people to migrate. In other words, "Turkey's future" wants to migrate!

When done properly, surveys provide a concrete picture of people's thoughts and behaviour. All surveys conducted with young people share a common point: the vast majority of young people, with a rate varying between 65% and 75%, say that if possible, they would like to live abroad. Moreover, half of the young voters of the ruling AKP (Justice and Development Party) and 70% of the young voters of the MHP (Nationalist Movement Party, the partner of the AKP) are of the same opinion. The reasons stated are common: unemployment, poverty, working conditions, insecurity in all areas of life, uncertainty, favouritism, the repressive atmosphere in the country, injustice, immigration policies, and so forth.

In recent years, a new definition has entered our lives: house youth! In Turkey, 28% of the young people aged 15-24 are neither studying nor employed. That means one out of every three young people is at home! Turkey is one of the two OECD countries where university graduates are least likely to find a job. The number of unemployed people with a university diploma has exceeded 1,350,000, which means that one out of every four unemployed young people is a university graduate. And, how about those who can find a job? “Even if I graduate from a reputable university and get a job here, the wage I will get is equal to the wage I will get by working part-time at McDonalds in the USA,” says a young person. According to the surveys, only one in five believes that a talented young person will have a successful career in Turkey! In other words, four out of five young people do not believe that talent will bring them success.

There is a huge rise in the number of young people settling abroad from year to year. The number has exceeded 100,000! Unfortunately, not only the young people, but almost everyone, from doctors to academics, from civil servants to engineers, is occupied with the idea of going abroad. Meanwhile, a minister said that the youth prefer to leave Turkey not because of a desire to "escape", but because "they want to explore the world". For such an explanation, one must either lose touch with reality or sink deep into hypocrisy.

Our young friend! This is by no means the country where we want to live in. We are fed up, overwhelmed, tired… Many of us, even millions of us, think that they will leave behind their problems by escaping abroad. But are we all able to go? This is not possible. The overwhelming majority of us try to console themselves with a dream that will never come true. Where will we go, how will we be met? Let's remember what Afghans and Syrians have gone through in Turkey. Unfortunately no one is waiting for us with open arms. The most important question is: even if we manage to go abroad, will we be able to get rid of the problems and lead a bright life?

When we look at the workers’ protests against the worsening conditions in the countries to which we want to migrate, the answer becomes obvious. From France to the USA, from Britain to Chile, world’s squares are hosting the biggest protests of recent years. Moreover, before one of these rebellions ends, the other one begins. And without exception, the young people are always at the forefront! The protests stem from high cost of living, unemployment, usurpation of rights, climate crisis, immigration policies, war, and so on. How similar are the problems we are all complaining about, aren’t they? Capitalism is a global system and we cannot get rid of it and the problems created by it by turning a blind eye. As stated many times in the world media, for the first time in modern history, young people live in worse conditions than their parents. They are poorer, more insecure, and less hopeful about future! In other words, the capitalist disaster is dealing a blow to youth not only in Turkey but also in the world.

Young friend! Capitalism is the trouble besetting the humanity as a whole. As long as this system exists, young people are bound to be disappointed. And this applies to the every corner of the world. All the problems we complain about are the problems of our age. The youth should be conscious of and sensitive to the problems of their age. We are all complaining, angry, and reactive… But it is not enough. A sword rusts when left in its scabbard! Instead of running away from our problems, we should confront them together. We are the youth of UID-DER (Association of International Workers’ Solidarity) who desire and struggle for change, and who dream of a future where there is no war, where nature is not destroyed, and where children do not die. The more we grow in number, the more hopelessness diminishes. The more we grow in number and the more the darkness turns to brightness!