Dear Migrants,
I have been thinking about something this week.
Recently, thousands of young Africans tried to enter the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from Morocco.
Some crossed the land border.
Some went through the sea.
Some reportedly swam to reach Spanish territory.
People died.
Hundreds of children were left stranded.
And after all that risk, many of those who made it across were eventually returned to Morocco.
When I saw the story, my first reaction was not anger.
It was understanding.
Because I understand the energy behind it.
I understand wanting more for your life.
I understand looking around you and feeling like the opportunities available are simply not enough.
Africa is full of young people with enormous ambition.
People who want to work.
Build careers.
Support their families.
Travel.
Experience the world.
Live better lives.
And sometimes that desire becomes so strong that leaving starts to feel urgent.
But this incident reminded me of five things.
There is nothing wrong with wanting more.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to migrate.
There is nothing wrong with deciding that your skills, ambitions, or dreams may have better opportunities somewhere else.
The problem starts when desperation takes over the decision-making.
Some of the people in Ceuta were willing to swim through the sea and risk their lives for the possibility of entering Europe.
That tells me something.
These are not people who lack ambition.
They have plenty of it.
What they often lack is a safe, realistic pathway for that ambition.
And that distinction matters.
This is something I wish more people understood.
Reaching Spain does not automatically mean you can stay in Spain.
Crossing a border does not automatically permit you to work.
It does not automatically give you permanent residence.
It does not automatically create a successful life.
Some of the people who reached Ceuta were returned to Morocco.
Others were left in a very uncertain situation.
So migration planning has to go much further than:
How do I get there?
You need to know what happens after you arrive.
Can you legally stay?
Can you legally work?
What status will you have?
Can that status eventually lead to something more permanent?
These questions matter just as much as the journey itself.
This is probably the lesson I keep coming back to.
When you desperately want to leave, waiting feels terrible.
Another year feels too long.
Six more months feels too long.
Learning another language feels too slow.
Getting another qualification feels too slow.
Saving more money feels too slow.
And suddenly shortcuts start looking attractive.
A suspicious agent starts sounding convincing.
An illegal route starts feeling possible.
A dangerous journey starts looking like the only option.
This is where migration becomes dangerous.
Sometimes the smartest thing you can do is wait.
Use that year.
Improve your English.
Learn German. Learn Japanese, etc.
Build another year of work experience.
Get professionally licensed.
Save money.
Learn a skill employers are actually looking for.
Research legal migration routes properly.
A slower route can still take you much further.
This is the part of the Ceuta story that stayed with me.
Think about the amount of determination it takes to swim towards another country.
Think about the courage.
The desperation.
The energy.
Now imagine what can happen when that same energy is directed towards building a migration profile.
Learning a language.
Getting experience.
Finding an occupation in demand.
Understanding sponsorship.
Researching regional pathways.
Preparing financially.
Applying legally.
That energy is powerful.
It just needs somewhere useful to go.
And that is one reason I created Dear Migrants (Please invite your friends to subscribe).
I want this to be a place where we can understand what is actually happening in global migration.
Where the opportunities are.
Which countries are tightening.
Which countries still need workers.
Which pathways are opening.
And when the smartest decision is simply to wait and prepare better.
Good migration information cannot solve every problem.
But it can stop some very expensive mistakes.
If studying abroad is part of your migration plan, there is a better way to approach it than applying blindly and hoping something works.
I created my Personal Profile Assessment to help you understand what you are actually working with. For $10, I’ll assess your academic and professional profile, identify your strengths and weaknesses, and recommend the best next steps for your scholarship journey.
For some of you, that next step may be my Scholarship Success Lab.
The Lab is a community for students who are serious about winning scholarships and studying abroad. You’ll get access to my database of 1,000+ scholarships, SOP samples, CV samples, step-by-step training on building strong applications, regular guidance from me, and a community of other students applying alongside you.
But I don’t want everyone joining the Lab simply because they want a scholarship.
Start with the Personal Profile Assessment. Let me look at where you are first. Then I can recommend whether the Scholarship Success Lab makes sense for you, or whether there are other things you should work on before you start applying.
Because this is really the point of everything I’ve written today.
There are better ways to move.
Sometimes the better way is not the faster way.
It is preparing yourself so that when the right opportunity comes, you are ready for it.
🎯 Start with your Personal Profile Assessment here: https://studyabroadprep.com/589938g787
Before you spend your savings, quit your job, pay an agent, or take any major risk, you should know a few things.
Know where you want to go.
Know which legal pathway you qualify for.
Know what is missing from your profile.
Know how much money you realistically need.
Know how long the process might take.
And have another option if your first plan does not work.
You may feel a sense of urgency about changing your life.
That is understandable.
But your migration strategy should not be built in panic.
Your ambition deserves better than that.
Your desire to leave may be urgent.
Your migration strategy should not be.
Thank you for being here.
Until next week, keep making smarter migration decisions.
— Sylvie
At the end of this month, we’re meeting again for our FREE Migration Intelligence Live.
📅 Friday, August 28
🕚 11:00 PM Tokyo time
📍 Live here on Substack
🔗 https://open.substack.com/live-stream/313020?utm_source=live-stream-scheduled-upsell
Click it and turn on your notifications/reminder so Substack lets you know when we’re about to go live.
This is our opportunity to go beyond the newsletter and talk about your migration plans in real time.
I’m already preparing what we’ll cover, so if there is something you are struggling with, send me your question now.
What country are you considering?
What part of the migration process is confusing you?
What decision are you trying to make?
What would you like me to explain during the Live?
If you receive this newsletter by email, reply directly to this email with your question. If you’re reading on Substack, leave your question in the comments.
I’ll use the questions you send me now to help shape the session, so please don’t wait until the day of the Live. If there is something you particularly want me to research and address, send it early so I can include it while I’m preparing.
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