Yesterday I saw off one more friend of mine who left for the United States of America. Many young people today in Tajikistan seek opportunities to leave our country with a hope to get better education and/or earn money. A year ago I heard American consul in Tajikistan said that in one day at least 10 people are interviewed for obtaining visas at the US embassy, and at least 5 of them get the right to enter the territory of the United States. Most of them apply for student visas.

How many bright and talented young people have already left our country? How many are planning to? It is a serious question to consider. Such policy of open doors may be run on purpose just to weaken our country so that it gets more and more dependent on foreign aid and intervention. If the US government keeps letting in so many students every year, Tajikistan in about 3 years will lose those that could somehow make a difference in here.

Is it so bad in Tajikistan that students prefer to work illegally (most of them do babysitting or wash dishes at second-quality restaurants or cafes) to make their living in the USA? In the end, American dream remains a dream for most of them so it may serve as a good life lesson for them.

On the other hand according to the statistics a good half of the students eventually return home. Of course the brightest students find the way out and stay in the States. The reverse of the medal is that those who come back will have more chances to find decent jobs in Tajikistan or run their own business. Unambiguously, it is high time for our government to start thinking of better mechanisms of motivating young people to stay in their homeland.