Youth Migration: Both a Pain and an Opportunity

Mashallah. I was very pleased to read this news.

Rahmatilla's "case" makes me think a lot, sometimes it saddens me, sometimes it makes me happy. I'll explain why.

Rahmatilla is a graduate of the University of World Economy and Diplomacy. Before moving to Canada, he worked at one of Uzbekistan's leading websites as a well-known journalist. Of course, his salary was not astronomical, but for Tashkent's standards, it wasn't bad. Admittedly, with that salary, it would have been difficult to switch from renting a house to owning one, or from walking to driving a personal car – I understand that. But still, as an educated university graduate and a skilled professional, he left everything behind, took a leap of faith and moved to Canada. In the early years, he had to make a living doing relatively difficult jobs.

Many of the young journalists at our office admire Rahmatilla: "He made it, he managed to leave, and now he's working and achieving results, what about me?" they think, I suppose. This is what saddens me – the fact that educated young people who are doing valuable work for society can't see their future in their own country and are forced to think about leaving.

On the other hand, since Uzbekistan currently can't provide all of its educated youth with the level of salary and quality of life they desire, I think some of them are right to try their luck abroad. Alloh's world is vast... In this case, Rahmatilla's livelihood happened to be in Canada, and now he's gradually improving his situation. As someone who has lived abroad for a long time, I know that living abroad is not easy, but over time, one grows fond of the place, adapts, and gets used to it.

What I mean is, every person has the right to live well. That's why I can only applaud those who leave behind their comfort and head abroad to build a better life. Well done, Rahmatilla!

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I originally wrote this post to share on my personal social media page, but after deciding to publish it in the "Point of View" section of the website, I thought it necessary to add a few more points. Based on my own experience, I can say that one should be thoroughly prepared before going abroad for work or study. Learning a foreign language early and teaching it to your children opens up more opportunities.

Moreover, you shouldn't settle for just any job abroad, thinking, "This is better than Uzbekistan; it will do for me", especially when it comes to undocumented jobs. The best option is to leave legally and work officially. This ensures that your children can get a good education and that you have access to quality healthcare services.

By the way, my intention with this post is not to praise Canada. Canada is just an example. I've been there myself; it has vast lands and beautiful nature, but it's a bit cold – the majority of the year is winter. What I'm saying is that Canada or the U.S. might not be the best options for everyone to move to. Personally, for me, not getting too far from Uzbekistan and my loved ones in terms of distance is an important factor. In this regard, there are other geographically closer and more comfortable countries for living, both in the West and the East.

Furthermore, when choosing a country to live in temporarily or for a longer period, factors like nature, environment, climate, and daily living conditions should come first. This is because income-earning opportunities are nearly the same in developed countries, and living costs everywhere tend to match the income levels.

Umid Shermukhamedov,
CEO of Kun.uz