The government has called on youths intending to travel abroad for work to register with the Ministry of Youths and Kenya embassies abroad.
Patrick Wanje, USAID Kenya livelihood coordinator, said there is a need for youths who want to export labor to make sure they get permission from the government so that cases of mistreatment outside the country can be reduced.
Wanje pointed out that most of youths have dealt with fake agencies which are neither recognized by the government nor by embassies abroad and thus reason for harassment without help.
“Most of agencies recruiting youths in the country may not be known because they are fake agencies.
So whenever youths are mistreated outside the country no body can help them, that why we advice them to get go ahead from the government and embassies abroad where they intend to export their labor,” he added.
He said cases of harassment and mistreatment of youths and any Kenyan working outside the country can be reduced if the right procedures are followed.
Addressing media owners during a one day workshop at one of Malindi Hotel Wanje said if youths are registered before traveling abroad the government can help them through its embassies abroad.
“The government needs to know how many youths are working in such and such a country so that in case there is any problem they can be traced and assisted wherever they are,” he noted.
He said many youths who return home from countries like Saudi Arabia, they are mostly lured just to go in those countries to become slaves.
Wanje urged youths and Kenyans at large to think of what type of people they are dealing with before accepting to travel abroad to export labor.
“If youths have gone for example Saudi Arabia and returned home tearfully there is need for those who still intend to go to such countries to know what type of people they are dealing with,” he advised.
He called on the government to regulate exporting agencies in the country as they have posed a great threat to lives of many youths who are mistreated and other killed after reaching the country they intend to export their labor.
Wanje urged youths to think of development opportunities available in the country instead of exporting labor abroad just to be mistreated or even earn peanuts.
In the recent past,there has been cases of youths being mistreated, sexual harassed and even other died in mysterious circumstances while working abroad and mostly Saudi Arabia.
The government warned Kenyans against exporting labor abroad without registering with embassies abroad but such cases are still there with last months over 500 youths leaving the country from Mombasa for labor export to different countries.
But issue of youths unemployment in the country has been seen as major cause of such problems with youths risking their lives outside the country instead of staying around without job according to Said Hamisi, a youth leader in Malindi.
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