Considering Selective Immigration

Cameroon is a very hospitable country. For decades, the country has been receiving immigrants from other African countries and beyond. While some have come in by land, others have done so either by sea or air transport without many worries. Within the country, both those who have a permanent stay and those who have gone beyond their stay are carrying out their daily activities hitch-free thanks to the great hospitality of the Cameroonian people and government. In all the ten Regions of the country, one can hardly go into a village, town or city without seeing a foreigner working in a company, carrying out agricultural activities or self-employed in other fields. Despite the generosity of the people and the largesse of the government, some immigrants have been abusing the government's tolerance and the good faith of Cameroonians. It is common to see people who got authorisation for months spending years and others working without papers.These are issues to control. Besides the poor treatment, some of the immigrants who are economic operators, especially in the mining, forestry, industrial, educational and agricultural sectors, do not respect the terms of agreements. They do not only go beyond the exploitation limits, but also mete out inhumane treatment on local workers. It is common today to see videos or read stories on social media and other media platforms of foreigners maltreating Cameroonians. If a Cameroonian is not being insulted or fighting with an immigrant at the job site, he is being trashed by them. At times, the whole exercise is done with the complicity of some of our law enforcement officials. These practices are more rampant in some of our administrative units, where the population, instead of expecting to have refuge, are instead molested, especially when money exchanges hands or sentiment takes centre stage. Experience has shown that poorly matched immigration can strain public services, housing markets, local infrastructure and the industrial sectors in particular. A case in point is the recent discovery and arrest of some foreigners in the nation’s economic capital, Douala, who have established a well-equipped industry for the fabrication of fake local currency—the FCFA. Against this background, government may consider carrying selective immigration because it goes a long way to balance a nation’s humanitarian obligations with its economic, social, and infrastructural capacities. By intentionally evaluating and selecting who enters, Cameroonian authorities can target specific labour market shortages, sustain social safety nets through tax contributions, and ensure smoother, more cohesive integration for both the newcomers and the existing population. The intentional selection of immigrants, which is a critical public policy tool, is deemed necessary because specific skills, language proficiency, and education help fill critical gaps in healthcare, technology and trades, while simultaneously ensuring that newcomers can contribute to the tax base and social support systems. A well-structured selection process allows host nations to scale resources accordingly, promoting clear pathways that protect both domestic workers and the immigrants themselves. The positive results of this venture are that it would prevent the growth of informal or exploitative labour markets, while at the same time ensuring legal protection of workers and fair wages. It is therefore strongly believed and verified that selecting immigrants can benefit the country by bringing much-needed skills like medicine, engineering, sports and many others that can he...