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Giving young exiles a chance means giving ourselves a chance collectively
I am deeply shocked that the presence of 40 young exiles, whether minors or adults, can spark so much negative debate in Marseille. They are portrayed as a problem, when in reality they represent a genuine opportunity.
These young people are not coming to cause trouble, but to seek a future, to train, to learn, and above all, to work.
In a country that struggles to recruit in many sectors, their presence should be seen as a blessing.
One only needs to look around to see how difficult it is to find workers in essential fields such as construction, cleaning, home care, road maintenance, hospitality, or hospital services. These sectors suffer from a severe shortage of motivated staff. And yet, here we have young people who, despite paths often filled with hardship, are still standing, determined to make it, with a genuine desire to integrate and contribute.
Instead of pointing the finger at their presence, why not build bridges between them and local businesses? Many companies struggle to recruit and would probably be delighted to meet these young people brimming with energy and goodwill. Beyond manual work, some may have unsuspected talents in music, sport, mathematics, art, or agriculture. Don’t they deserve a space to express what they know how to do, and to learn what they don’t yet?
These young people have been through trials that few of us would have the strength to endure. They have survived exile, uncertainty, sometimes violence. And despite all of this, they are still here, standing, with the desire to make something of themselves. That is called perseverance, courage, "fighting spirit." Isn’t it time to change our perspective, and to understand that their strength of character can become an asset for our society? Let us give them a chance, and we will see that they can become much more than "labour": full citizens, carriers of hope and the future.
Giving young exiles a chance means giving ourselves a chance collectively
I am deeply shocked that the presence of 40 young exiles, whether minors or adults, can spark so much negative debate in Marseille. They are portrayed as a problem, when in reality they represent a genuine opportunity.
These young people are not coming to cause trouble, but to seek a future, to train, to learn, and above all, to work.
In a country that struggles to recruit in many sectors, their presence should be seen as a blessing.
One only needs to look around to see how difficult it is to find workers in essential fields such as construction, cleaning, home care, road maintenance, hospitality, or hospital services. These sectors suffer from a severe shortage of motivated staff. And yet, here we have young people who, despite paths often filled with hardship, are still standing, determined to make it, with a genuine desire to integrate and contribute.
Instead of pointing the finger at their presence, why not build bridges between them and local businesses? Many companies struggle to recruit and would probably be delighted to meet these young people brimming with energy and goodwill. Beyond manual work, some may have unsuspected talents in music, sport, mathematics, art, or agriculture. Don’t they deserve a space to express what they know how to do, and to learn what they don’t yet?
These young people have been through trials that few of us would have the strength to endure. They have survived exile, uncertainty, sometimes violence. And despite all of this, they are still here, standing, with the desire to make something of themselves. That is called perseverance, courage, "fighting spirit." Isn’t it time to change our perspective, and to understand that their strength of character can become an asset for our society? Let us give them a chance, and we will see that they can become much more than "labour": full citizens, carriers of hope and the future.
Giving young exiles a chance means giving ourselves a chance collectively
I am deeply shocked that the presence of 40 young exiles, whether minors or adults, can spark so much negative debate in Marseille. They are portrayed as a problem, when in reality they represent a genuine opportunity.
These young people are not coming to cause trouble, but to seek a future, to train, to learn, and above all, to work.
In a country that struggles to recruit in many sectors, their presence should be seen as a blessing.
One only needs to look around to see how difficult it is to find workers in essential fields such as construction, cleaning, home care, road maintenance, hospitality, or hospital services. These sectors suffer from a severe shortage of motivated staff. And yet, here we have young people who, despite paths often filled with hardship, are still standing, determined to make it, with a genuine desire to integrate and contribute.
Instead of pointing the finger at their presence, why not build bridges between them and local businesses? Many companies struggle to recruit and would probably be delighted to meet these young people brimming with energy and goodwill. Beyond manual work, some may have unsuspected talents in music, sport, mathematics, art, or agriculture. Don’t they deserve a space to express what they know how to do, and to learn what they don’t yet?
These young people have been through trials that few of us would have the strength to endure. They have survived exile, uncertainty, sometimes violence. And despite all of this, they are still here, standing, with the desire to make something of themselves. That is called perseverance, courage, "fighting spirit." Isn’t it time to change our perspective, and to understand that their strength of character can become an asset for our society? Let us give them a chance, and we will see that they can become much more than "labour": full citizens, carriers of hope and the future.
