News:
August 25, 2025
In the face of embellished narratives that attract thousands of young Africans in search of a better future abroad, the LEADER Network is urging the media to fully play their role: to investigate, expose, and inform public opinion about the realities of migration.
During a workshop held in Accra on August 22, 2025, the organization warned against manipulation, deceptive recruitment systems, and exploitative practices that threaten the future of African youth.
Held under the theme “The role of the media in addressing the illusions and realities of youth migration in Africa,” the event brought together journalists, migration experts, and institutional partners. A second meeting is scheduled in Accra on September 22, 2025, to deepen discussions and strengthen media engagement.
One of the most striking voices was that of Nana Bafour Odefour Boamh Darko, Mawerehene of Akyem Adadientam, who strongly emphasized that every day, thousands of young people are lured by amplified success stories from Europe, the Middle East, or Asia, which often end in disillusionment: abuse, exploitation, violence, and sometimes death.
He cited the controversial case of “Alabuga Start” in Russia, where young African women recruited under the pretext of training were allegedly subjected to exploitative conditions. He also denounced the abuses suffered by African migrant women working as domestic workers in the Middle East, victims of the kafala system: passport confiscation, unpaid wages, poor living conditions, and physical or psychological violence.
“These realities are not isolated cases. They reflect a troubling norm: the exploitation of young Africans through opaque migration routes has become one of the most dangerous features of today’s globalized world,” he warned.
The LEADER Network therefore calls on African media to assume their historic responsibility: to verify information, dismantle false promises, and shed light on exploitative schemes.
“We urge journalists to become allies in this fight. Trapped migration is not only an individual tragedy; it is a collective threat to the future of our continent,” the organization insisted.
For his part, Dr. Jean Emmanuel Gnagnon, president of LEADER, called on African youth to reconsider their pursuit of success. “Success is never instant. Seeking to achieve it solely through the illusion of a better life abroad is to risk endangering one’s own life,” he concluded.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com