There are many young people who want to go to foreign countries. Few of them go through a legal route. Mamadou Ciré Ly is one of the young people who want to study in Canada. Despite the difficulties of obtaining a visa, this young Guinean has chosen a legal migration. He applied  several times for a Canadian visa without success. Dialogue Migration met with him in Guinea.Mamadou Ciré Ly got his professional degree in food science in 2017. After graduation, he had the opportunity to become a quality control intern at a local company. Following this internship, he remained unemployed for a long time. This lack of employment led the young graduate to train in pastry at Prima Center Conakry. This training allowed him to have a 2-year contract in a restaurant. However, with the meager salary he received, he found it necessary to opt for a study trip to his dream country since his childhood, which is Canada.

Why Canada…

“This is my dream country. And this has been the case since I was a child,” he says. He continued: “Canada is the country where the livelihood is favorable. Also, this country offers quality training to these learners and their  diploma is recognised worldwide. Apart from these reasons, the young graduate in food science believes that currently this country is ranked among “the best in the world with a better quality of life and an exceptional education”. Apart from all these reasons, it should be noted that the influence of friends who went to Canada has something to do with it as well.

Mamadou Ciré Ly still has great hope that once in Canada, he could fulfill his dreams and be able to do a desired training, to meet challenges and finally have a favourable living environment. According to his experiences, the procedures to emigrate to Canada are very complicated “you need, among other things, a reassured care, have an admission with a Certificate of Acceptance of Quebec (CAQ). Also, apply for a visa… »

In 2020, Ciré obtained a scholarship of more than 15,000 euros from the province of Quebec. With this scholarship, he applied four (4) times for a visa, but the application was never successful.

“The reasons for refusal were always the same, that my application did not meet the requirements of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act,” he said. To win his case, Mamadou Ciré decided in 2020 to hire a lawyer in Canada to help him obtain a visa. Unfortunately, the action was useless. A situation that leaves him perplexed: “I always wonder, what is wrong. In 2022 as the other scholarship expired, I applied for admission and would have to pay tuition. Again, my application was denied for the fifth time,” he confides in enormous despair.

“It’s really frustrating,” he adds. However, Ciré wants to travel and leave Guinea. He says he has a lot of projects to do. But for lack of means and a job where he could have the minimum, these dreams are moving further and further away from his mind. 

He said he was aware that French-speaking countries are often victims of visa refusals, as mentioned in the federal report of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration cited by France24, they are about 70% of French-speaking African students to be refused a visa by the Canadian government, compared to 35% of non-African students in 2021.

Since the end of his university studies (bachelor’s degree), Mamadou Ciré Ly is still struggling to get a job in his country to support himself and his family. To show how much he wants to go in pursuit of happiness, Ciré today compares himself to those friends who live in the West and make achievements in Guinea. According to him, they “build for their parents and lead a really acceptable life.” Surely, to “each his luck”. But staying in Guinea “is not easy,” he said. 

Mamadou Ciré Ly did not fail to highlight the difficulty of securing a job in Guinea “Obtaining a job is very difficult in Guinea. Even if you find one, the salary does not allow you to support yourself. Business leaders are just trying to line their pockets. Often, it’s exploitation,” he says. 

Despite his desire to leave Guinea, Mamadou Ciré wishes to immigrate legally. He is convinced that elsewhere he could have the training he wants and at the same time, achieve his dreams to support his family.

However, he adds, “I don’t want to risk my life to travel to another country.” Admittedly, the visa procedure is still difficult for Mamadou Ciré Ly, but he still intends to go through a legal route to emigrate. Even if other young people do, Ciré is not ready to do it. Although the procedures require enough fees. He is still patient and keeps hope alive!