Illegal football players’ immigration:Civic agency partners with stakeholders

The National Civic Service Agency for Participation in Development on April 15, 2016, signed deals to sensitise young footballers against going international now.

According to some statistics, 15,000 young football players leave Africa every year for European clubs, with many ending up in Maghreb countries. This illegal influx by minors inevitably results in abuses as young players do not have social protection or any well-defined work contracts.

In a bid to curb the situation, the National Civic Service Agency for Participation in Development, NCSAPD, on April 15, 2015, in Yaounde, signed partnership deals with ‘Foot Solidaire’ and its patron, ‘France Volontaires.’ NCSAPD General Manager, Taossi, decried the abuses common in the signing of youth footballers’ contracts, saying the quest for jobs has led many young players to embark on illegal immigration.

He explained that a number of football academies in the country will be selected and given training in civic education and sensitised against illegal immigration. Similarly, young people who have failed in their football dreams will be redirected to government economic programmes for possible absorption. “You can overlook everything, except youth problems,” Taossi warned. He said his expectations were to see youth football talents developed on-the-spot in Cameroon until they mature before going international.

Cheik Diallo, the Country Representative of ‘France Volontaires’, restated NCSAPD’s ability to carry out the training, adding that it was all about working out action plans to safeguard the future of young footballers. Jean-Claude Mbvoumin, a former national football team age group player and founder of ‘Foot Solidaire,’ spoke of his association’s international experience in protecting unsuspecting young African football players.

He warned that ‘Foot Solidaire’s role was not to serve as football transfer agent, but to help train youth to respect themselves, others and be patriotic. “Football is already a big industry in Cameroon. We are fighting human trafficking by offering young footballers opportunities to remain in the country until they mature before going international,” Mbvoumin pointed out.