War-Weary Somalis Flee for Europe as Rebuilding Too Slow
- Young Somalis see poor economy, insecurity as push factors
- Efforts to curb flight after report hundreds died in transit
A man from Somalia wearing a blanket over his shoulders leaves a makeshift camp near the Greek-Macedonian border.
Photographer: Tobias Schwarz/AFP via Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
When hundreds of Somalis were reported drowned in the Mediterranean last month, Abdi Deeq didn’t rethink his plans to flee the Horn of Africa nation and risk the illicit crossing to Europe.
More than two decades of Somali civil war and a bloody al-Qaeda-aligned insurgency have left the 22-year-old student with little hope his country is becoming safer or more prosperous. Even as the capital, Mogadishu, rebuilds and elections are scheduled this year, near-daily bombings, rampant corruption and few career opportunities mean he’s one of many young Somalis who see moving abroad as their only choice.