The alluring death trap that is the diaspora

Pavilion

Member
Staff member
The alluring death trap that is the diaspora
Diaspora population about three million and steadily rising; Sh31bn remitted by January 2021
In Summary
• If one is able to make ends meet in the home country, the best option is to stay home
• Venturing to the diaspora should only happen when one is guaranteed of what they are getting into
8A8D573A-FE54-4986-B4E0-362409F3FE0D.jpeg

At least three bodies of Kenyans are awaiting transportation back to Kenya from various countries. The three left Kenya full of hope and desires to make it in the diaspora and build a future for themselves and their families.

It was a dream come true when they finally confirmed their trips abroad. They organised get-togethers and going away parties in the spirit of true Kenyanhood to share good news with family and friends. Little did they know that they would never be back home again alive. It was their last trip and their return would be in body bags. Their lifeless bodies in the country again simply to be buried.

This is the sad ending of many cases of individuals who have left the country in search of greener pastures abroad. The allure of riches and material in the developed world is too enticing for many who consider life in Kenya a daily struggle to simply make ends meet.
The first opportunity one gets to try and make it out of the country is usually grabbed with both hands. Some are often ready to even pay heftily to confirm overseas trips as it becomes an escape route from the pangs of hunger they struggle with daily in Kenya. Harambees and chamas contribute funds to help individuals acquire the passage to the diaspora.
The sad reality is that immediately one leaves the country, it dawns on them that it’s not all so rosy as they were made to believe. It is equally as tough as in Kenya if not worse. By the time they realise this and come to accept the reality, it is too late to turn back and the shame of returning back home after a promising departure becomes too much to bear.
One fears being considered a failure for having travelled abroad and coming back to the motherland empty handed. So they continue enduring hardships and torment, including being homeless and sleeping in the streets, as long as that suffering is away from friends and relatives back home.
Kenya’s diaspora population is estimated at about three million and steadily rising. These numbers are spread all over the world with the majority in the Americas, Europe and the Gulf. The Central Bank of Kenya data shows that in January 2021, Kenyans in the diaspora remitted more than Sh30 billion.
It is at this point that the person becomes vulnerable to manipulation and human rights abuses. The desperation renders them susceptible to unfair labour practices and exploitation. Many are cases of Kenyans who ended up doing odd jobs such as prostitution, drug trade and human trafficking in order to survive.
In other places, they are forced to work extra hours with very little pay while undergoing both physical and psychological torture at the hands of their captors. The strong ones somehow find a way of surviving but there are those who can’t take it anymore and so are killed or in some cases, take their own lives.
Kenya’s diaspora population is estimated at about three million and steadily rising. These numbers are spread all over the world with the majority in the Americas, Europe and the Gulf. The Central Bank of Kenya data shows that in January 2021, Kenyans in the diaspora remitted more than Sh30 billion.

This shows that despite the challenges reported of life abroad, there are those that are making it and somehow manage to realise their dream and support their families back in Kenya. There are homes and projects that have been brought up purely by funds from the diaspora. However, the question that all are asking is at what cost is that success coming?
In 2014, Kenya announced the creation of a new national policy aimed at managing the country’s diaspora and encouraging investment, keeping track of Kenyans abroad and involving them in the country’s development.

Seven years down the line, there is little to show that it is working. The government has no clue of where Kenyans are spread, with most embassies only having rough estimates of the population of Kenyans in the different countries and not even understanding what they do or how they are linked to Kenyans back home.

This situation means the diaspora remains a death trap with government not in a position to help when needed.

What remains clear is that if one is able to make ends meet in the home country, the best option is to stay home. Venturing to the diaspora should only happen when one is guaranteed of what they are getting into.

(Edited by V. Graham)
 
Top