Youth Unemployment and Irregular Migration: Understanding the Push Factors Driving Migration from the North East to Europe

This study examines the relationship between youth unemployment and the decision to engage in irregular migration from Nigeria's North East geopolitical zone to Europe, particularly through the Central Mediterranean route via Libya. The North East, comprising states including Borno, Adamawa, and Taraba, has experienced protracted insecurity, economic marginalisation, and high youth unemployment rates that have created severe push factors for outward migration. Drawing on the neoclassical migration theory and the new economics of migration, this research investigates the socioeconomic, political, and psychological determinants of irregular migration decisions among youth aged eighteen to thirty-five in the North East. The study employs a qualitative methodology, conducting semi-structured interviews with returned migrants in Maiduguri and Yola, complemented by focus group discussions with community members and local government officials. Data are triangulated with reports from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the European Union Emergency Trust Fund for Africa. It is anticipated that findings will identify unemployment, insecurity, and lack of educational opportunity as the primary push factors, with information about migration routes disseminated through social media networks. The research informs recommendations for targeted youth employment interventions and international development cooperation frameworks that address root causes of irregular migration. Keywords: irregular migration, North East Nigeria, youth unemployment, push factors, Central Mediterranean.