Europe is a prominent destination for people around the world to get better jobs and better life opportunities. People from different countries flocks in high numbers every year to get under the EU flag. Apart from cultural challenges, there is more truth in this.

A large number of Indians migrate to Europe with good education and skills on work visas but there is a section of people who stay there without any visa or documents and face difficult situations. Punjab is one such state which contributes the highest number of unskilled and semi-skilled workers to Europe. Lesser employment opportunities in Punjab forces youth to go abroad with any channel of migration either safe or unsafe and fall prey to the circle of Unauthorized Travel Agents and Recruitment Agencies.

Caritas India’s initiative on Awareness Campaign against Unsafe(Irregular) Migration is an attempt to spread awareness on the consequences of Unsafe (Irregular). On its first of its kind roadshow, Caritas India organized one day march with its local partner Navjeevan Charitable Society in Jalandhar City from Desh Bhagat Yadgar Hall to BMC chowk and vice versa under the awareness Campaign on unsafe migration.

Victor John, a Punjabi actor, and the campaign ambassador inaugurated the march and encouraged them to make this campaign successful by countering Unsafe migration in Punjab to European Countries. During the roadshow, a street play was conducted by the cultural group on how people from Punjab get motivated to go abroad and modes of travel, about the problems they faced while traveling to the destination country and how they came back and livelihood situations.

60 participants attended the roadshows from Desh Bhagat Yadgar Hall to BMC chowk at Jalandhar on November 30, 2018, and promised to take all the precautions before migrating based on the reliable and effective information provided in the roadshow.

People and local print media houses in Punjab welcomed the step of awakening the people on the issue of irregular migration in this roadshow event as this one of the major prevailing issue in Punjab and need of the hour is to tackle this issue on priority basis.

Caritas India is opening a dialogue with the District Development, Block Development and Panchayat Officials, Gurudwara Committees other concerned Dept. Govt officials, Police and potential migrants for the exchange of information and to support and develop an awareness and sensitize potential migrants and their families for preventing irregular migration. Major activities under this awareness campaign like roadshows, street plays and seminars in College/High schools and IEC material distribution at public places is being conducted with the local partner to aware people and potential migrants about the realities and potential risks of unsafe Migration from Punjab to Europe.