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Liberians abroad forced out of their country against their will as the of a brutal civil war, some of whom were robbed of enjoying growing up in a natural serenity and peaceful innocence every child once experienced growing up in Liberia, had not given up on their country or abandoned it though immigrants in foreign lands.
An astounding World Bank’s report of 2012 on global remittances reveals, Liberians in the Diaspora out-beat per GDP other Africans living abroad by remitting $378 million in 2012, an increase of $18 million from 2011 remittance of $360 million, a more than 31% of global remittances and third of Liberia’s GDP in 2012.
These remittances, according to World Bank’s report account for third of the country’s GDP, an indispensable fulcrum of Liberia’s economy while foreign aid contributes to less than half of the Diaspora remittance to the country’s GDP. These staggering remittances make Liberia the second highest recipient country of Diaspora remittances, coming second to Tajikstan and the highest in Africa.
World Bank reports that despite the huge remittances, the economic impact of these remittances is not translated into the improvement of the living condition of Liberians, 85 percent of whom are unemployed and their only source of livelihood depend on these remittances from their relatives and friends abroad.
The Liberian government is under moral and economic obligation as a responsible custodian of the Liberian nation-state to forge a working partnership with its Diaspora community even if it is diagonal to the principles they ascribed to, which in fact are well-intentioned to harness the wealth being remitted into tangible outcome that would be reflected through prism of living better condition of the Liberian people.
The Unite States is the single largest source of Liberia’s remittances as 48% of Liberian migrants reside in the United States while the rest are disbursed around the world including Europe, Asia, Middle East and other African countries.
With these very significant contributions to the country’s economy, Diaspora Liberians must therefore move to fighting to “have a say” in their country by creating the opportunity vote in their country’s election wherever they are and use the strength of their economic leverage to work to repeal the country’s unconstitutional immigration laws which attempt to rob them of full participation in deciding who governs their country and the rogue attempts to disown them of the lawful possession of their properties under the disguise of the country’s contradictory immigration law of dual citizenship unparalleled to the country’s constitution.
Liberians abroad are not allow to vote in their country’s election contrary to the constitution though they continue to perform their civic duties by contributing to the economic well-being of their country, one of the core responsibilities of citizenship and proving also that they maintain their domicile as Liberians by blood lineage or other with their continue full involvement with their country while abroad.
The Unite States is the single largest source of Liberia’s remittances as 48% of Liberian migrants reside in the United States while the rest are disbursed around the world including Europe, Asia, Middle East and other African countries.
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