This article was originally published by the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs and is republished with permission.

Palestinians wait to pass the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. (Maan Images)

Fingers flying across the keyboard, his eyes glued to the small computer screen, 20-year-old Mahrous Baker fishes for freedom in the vast seas of the Internet. Some days he casts his line in Sweden, others in Denmark, Finland or Germany, angling for the prize catch: a visa. He gets a nibble from a woman in a far-away country. With a surge of hope, he attempts to reel her toward his cause.

"Any country, any country," his typing pleads. "Even political asylum in hell is better than the hell we are living."

Why would a young man, just years out of childhood, be seeking political asylum?

"My father is ill and unemployed," Baker explained. "My sisters are all unemployed and I was unable to gain acceptance to the university. Our tough economic situation, the stress of being under constant siege [by Israeli forces] and current political problems, these reasons compel me to travel anywhere in Europe."

Pausing for a moment, he reiterated, "Anywhere is much better than the hell we are living in."

The chaos and calamity of young Gazans fishing for freedom plays itself out in the dim smoky light of Internet cafés to the sound of tapping keys and hopeful chatter. Sitting side by side, dozens of young people participate in this daily ritual. Toward the back of the room, Rafat Ahmed, 22, sits poised and polished in his summer jacket, his green eyes showing the strain as, with raw determination, he continues to call various embassies for help.

"Of course, I prefer Scandinavian countries," he stated. "What I mean by that is Sweden, Norway or even Denmark. I dream about them; but the challenge of getting a visa has become a nightmare, chasing me day and night," he said wistfully, his voice faltering.

Since Hamas won last January's Palestinian elections, the percentage of Palestine's youth seeking emigration and work visas abroad has increased steadily. Rather reflecting on Hamas, however, the reasons behind the attempted exodus are the dire economic situation, Israel's military siege, unpaid salaries and a dearth of career opportunities—and all this in the context of Israel's unrelenting orchestration and oppression of all aspects of Palestinian life and the world's economic punishment.

Related stories Gaza: no exit Identity and movement control Prisoners are a metaphor for all Palestinians The Gaza economy By the book

Those seeking asylum abroad are young Palestinians floundering amid the hopelessness of starvation, the daily humiliation of living under apartheid and the bleak future facing them.

Ahmed Quffah, a 23-year-old graduate student at Islamic University, described the lack of employment opportunities in Gaza. "Everyday I get up. There are no jobs; there is nothing that I can do but emigrate to where there is employment," he explained with frustration. "Palestine—our land, the holy land—needs its young people. It is not wise for us to leave our home or the legacy our grandparents fought so hard to maintain," he admitted.

Scandinavia continues to be the preferred destinatiton for emigration and a new life. The region and its people are respected and loved. Why do most young Gazans look to Scandinavia instead of the United States, the historic beacon of freedom? To the youth of Palestine, Scandinavian countries represent justice and gentle tranquility in a world often seen as gone mad and bent on conflict. The United States, with its Israel-centric foreign policy, seems increasingly hostile.

In the words of 23-year-old Ibrahim Salha, who currently is studying in the U.S.: "The reality is that each day is more painful than the previous. Life is not easy here. We can hardly afford food. I wish I had never come to the U.S.," he added dejectedly.

Suliman Al Ghazawi described similar perils, this time in Canada. "My brother and I survived a risky emigration experience," he said. "I decided to return to Palestine, although my brother still resides in Canada. He holds a doctorate in electronics, yet the only work he can get is as a taxi driver. The last time we spoke he told me he is unable to afford the basic necessities of food and housing."

As in all desperate situations, there is a seedy side of exploitation and profiteering, preying on the disillusioned. Instead of reeling in the possibility of a new life, the anglers of Gaza instead may land the Internet equivalent of a contaminated waste container: dreams of freedom peddled for a price by organized crime, under the guise of travel and emigration agencies. Several investigations into these groups confirm their nefarious nature, with the majority of them selling promises without a guarantee, and often with fake documentation.

After waiting nine months for promised documents, 24-year-old Ibrahim Mohammed knows the game well. "I'm still waiting and hoping to get them," he said without convinction. "But I have to rely on the promises of the Mafia groups that take our money. Then they deliver fake or forged passports that will never work! I don't wish to be in a country illegally," he emphasized.

"Life forced this choice," Mohammed explained. "But I need to take responsibility, educate myself and work hard to replace our home, which was demolished by the Israeli Occupation Forces."

With a rhythmic tap, tap, tap, the anglers of Gaza's Internet cafes return each day with renewed tenacity, navigating the dark waters of international asylum, hoping for a bite, the crucial first catch of a visa. Some chase the larger dream of permanent freedom. But all congregate, sitting side by side, casting, reeling, trading stories of the one that got away, believing, hoping, praying, yet pensive. "Will today be the day," each asks, "the day I catch freedom?"

Mohammed Omer, winner of New America Media's Best Youth Voice award, reports from the Gaza Strip, where he maintains the Web site <www.rafahtoday.org>. He can be reached at <gazanews@yahoo.com>.