Cameroonian President Paul Biya (Front) casts his ballot at a polling station in Yaounde, Cameroon, on Oct. 7, 2018. (Xinhua/Qiao Benxiao)
Cameroonian President Paul Biya has expressed concerns about the obsession of young people in the country to emigrate.
YAOUNDE, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Cameroonian President Paul Biya has expressed concerns about the obsession of young people in the country to emigrate.
"The growing desire of a fringe of our youths to emigrate to other climes is increasingly a cause for concern, especially when it becomes an obsession and even affects people who are well integrated into their local communities," Biya said in a televised message geared toward the younger generation on Saturday evening.
He said Cameroon, "like many others around the world," is facing difficulties but migrating "at all costs" is not the solution.
This photo taken on Sept. 14, 2023, shows the street view in Yaounde, Cameroon. (Xinhua/Dong Jianghui)
"You should know that while you yearn to leave, many foreigners are trying to settle in Cameroon, thereby confirming that ours is a hospitable country and a land of opportunities," he said, adding that emigration is full of "illusions and perils."
Last month, airport security officials in the country's commercial hub of Douala said Cameroonian civil servants, especially nurses, teachers and security forces, were emigrating at an "alarming" rate.
Biya's speech came on the occasion of National Youth Day, celebrated annually on Feb. 11 in the central African country. ■
