EMIGRATION can become a disaster if it is not carefully planned for, Emigrant Advice has warned.
Having most of his money and his passport stolen on his first night in the US; suffering terrible loneliness minding three children for long hours for $150 (about £93) a week; spending weeks struggling with French bureaucracy; sleeping on the streets in London these are some of the experiences of young emigrants recounted on a tape from Emigrant Advice.
The tape was compiled by the Catholic church backed organisation for circulation to schools, youth groups and other organisations used by young people.
It includes the stories of those who emigrated to the US, Britain and Europe, along with lists of dos and don'ts for each destination.
While emigration has slowed from the torrent of the 1980s, tens of thousands still leave every year.
Most inquiries to Emigrant Advice last year came from people seeking to emigrate to the US, and in the main, were visa inquiries, according to the organisation's annual report. Some 15 per cent of inquiries concerned visas for Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and 10 per cent of queries were people intending to go to Britain.
Only 5 per cent of those seeking advice were planning to go to an EU member state, probably because of the need for fluency in another language.
There are no longer special US visas to be applied for by intending emigrants, or by those already there, and US employers now face heavier penalties for employing illegal immigrants, so the prospects for those emigrating there without an appropriate visa are grim.
The Government was concerned about young people emigrating without proper preparation, according to a spokeswoman for the Minister of State at the Department of Social Welfare. Mr Bernard Durkan visited Boston and New York at, the end of June to discuss their situation with the emigrants, themselves and voluntary organisations dealing with them.
Several emigrants admitted they did not tell the whole story of their experiences when they came home because they did not want to upset their families.
They also told Mr Durkan that young people in secondary schools should be educated on the realities of emigration. Parents and teachers should also be fully educated about it, they said.
The module being prepared for transition year by the Department of Education might be too late for many intended emigrants, they said.
Specifically, emigrants to the US should be aware that without a green card the only work that graduates or other qualified people can get is childcare.
They also described the impact of cultural change and homesickness, and warned of the need health insurance, the danger relying on information picked up in pubs, the need for reliable accommodation and the need bring enough money to survive for a few weeks without income.
They also raised with the Minister the need for a "compassion fare" from Aer Lingus to emigrants to travel home at notice when parents die. But people might need to come before such an eventuality. One the emigrants on the tape "Buy a return ticket and don't be afraid to use it."