By: Hon. Marie Sock, Leader of Alliance for Social Democrats
Over the past weeks, 60 young Gambians died in whatever attempts they had been making to reach Europe via the perilous route referred to as the ‘Backway.’ This incident re-awakened discussions regarding the desperate fate of the nation’s youths. The most recent incident involved a boat carrying 64 passengers, mostly young Gambians, that departed from Sfax in Tunisia and eventually sank into the Mediterranean. These included men, women, and children; only four survivors were recorded. This incident is not an isolated case: it happens at a time when The Gambia has witnessed an increasing number of its youths attempting to migrate irregularly. With limited prospects at home and smugglers making false promises, these youths embark on a hazardous journey through a route that has now been associated with death and despair for many Gambians. In a country battling abject poverty, high unemployment, and an absence of government activity towards youth, young people speak freely of feeling they have little choice but to take to this deadly path.
Why Gambians Are Taking the ‘Backway’
- Unemployment and Economic Despair: Not simply a test of wills, one of the most vital reasons why young Gambians take the perilous ‘Backway’ risks is bound up in the dire economic situation facing the country. For various reasons, the Gambia often gets badly affected economically, struggling with an unemployment rate of over 41 percent. To many, the prospect of finding employment that pays decent wages remains slim. Subsistence farming exists in the countryside, but it does not offer any major economic development or increased standard of living. These youths look up to Europe, seeing no prospects for worthwhile jobs at home, where they feel they will be better paid and have a rosier future ahead. This is because agriculture and a nascent tourism sector do not have enough dynamism in the national economy to provide jobs matching the growing demand. Both sectors are vulnerable to exogenous shocks such as climate change, political instability, and global recessions that arise as sources of economic uncertainty. Apart from that, structural issues within the Gambian education system leave many youths unprepared for job entry. They have degrees and diplomas but lack the technical skills required for the few jobs available within the country.
- Lack of Government Action: Another important factor that has dictated the current mass migration of Gambian youth pertains to the lack of government action and long-term investment in the country’s youth programs. As a whole, discontent is ripe with regard to the manner the government is addressing issues concerning employment, education, and welfare of the country’s youth. Most of the youths never have their voices heard, and there are minimal indicatorsof serious governmental efforts to reduce unemployment or listen to their grievances. In many cases, government policies have focused on short-term fixes rather than long-term development strategies. Unless the infrastructure, education, and industry all start to consolidate through investment, it would remain in doubt how the country will ever achieve the sort of economic growth that will provide jobs for the country’s rapidly growing population. There is also a perceived disconnection of political leadership from reality on the ground as far as young people are concerned. This breeds frustration and a sense of abandonment, with more and more young people searching for solutions outside The Gambia.
- Social Pressures and Misguided Hope: Migration via the ‘Backway’ is often framed as the solution not just to poverty but also to social pressures. Much social pressure exists in many Gambian communities for young men and women to be able to contribute money to their households. It is compounded by the fact that many who have successfully migrated to Europe send money back home, building a narrative of how the journey, though perilous, is worth the risk. Smugglers and traffickers feed into these aspirations, convincing youths that the risks are exaggerated and that they can make their way across safely. Stories of those who made it fuel the misplaced hope among those left behind, often without full knowledge of the dangers that lie ahead. For many, a chance at a better life is well worth the fear of death.
The Role of the Government in Failing the Youth
While young Gambians have been targeted for a long period by the dangers of irregular migration, the government’s inability to offer proper solutions has only worsened the crisis. Despite repeated warnings and numerous reports of deaths at sea, little proactive government action has been taken to address root causes of the migration crisis. Policies targeting youth, when they exist, are poorly implemented and rarely reach the most vulnerable groups. Government initiatives aimed at overcoming unemployment or providing greater access to education, where they do exist, are usually underfunded and badly managed. What’s more, corruption at the system ensures that even funds meant for programs aimed at the youth do not reach their intended targets. All this lack of transparency and accountability has brought about the erosion of trust between government and youth in each other, with many feeling that their only hope lies beyond the borders.
How the Government Can Work with Youth to Avoid this Deadly Voyage
Against this background, immediate and sustained action is needed by the Gambian government to prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future. This will involve addressing both factors that cause young people to migrate and presenting alternatives offering hope and stability at home.
- Job Creation-Investment in Key Sectors: What the government has to do is actually focus investments in those industries capable of bringing large-scale employment. Agriculture continues to be one of the prime sectors for growth, and with modern technologies and infrastructure, agriculture can become a practical source of income for many Gambians. For example, investments in agro-processing industries would provide jobs for several thousands of young men and women, processing raw agricultural products into finished goods for sale in domestic and international markets. Besides, the tourism sectors, especially eco-tourism and cultural tourism, all have potential to offer sustainable employment opportunities for the youth. The Gambia is called ‘The Smiling Coast of Africa, and there is enormous potential to attract tourists from all over the world. However, there is a dire need to invest heavily in infrastructure, marketing, and training if the country is ever going to compete with the best tourist destinations within the region.
- Empowerment of Youth and Entrepreneurial Support Apart from creating jobs, the government needs to create avenues through which the youth can establish their own businesses or projects. Entrepreneurship would provide an effective means for economic growth, and with the right support, young Gambians have ideas and determination to succeed. This should, therefore, be inaugurated by government programs that provide low-interest loans, grants, and mentorship programs to help young entrepreneurs get their businesses off the ground. Additionally, technical training by the government in liaison with international organizations should focus on technology, engineering, and business development. These are skills that will be needed in the 21st-century job market, and with them, the youth will be able to compete in the global arena.
- Education Reform It is important in the migration crisis to have education reform. The current system has failed to prepare young people in the job market, and most graduates end up not being employed in the fields they studied. The government is expected to renovate the education system in order to put more emphasis on vocational and technical training, which should be directed according to the needs of the economy. Higher education facilities should be easily accessible to the youth, particularly in the rural areas where the students are always at a disadvantage as compared to the urban area students. Every young Gambian, irrespective of their background, should be given the opportunity to pursue higher education through the provision of scholarship and financial opportunities.
- Sensitization Campaigns and Community Outreach The government should take it upon itself to perform sensitization campaigns around the country to let youth know of the risks of irregular migration and fraudulent promises offered by human traffickers. These activities must be firmly based on community-oriented initiatives: the use of local leaders, schools, and religious bodies to emphasize to the communities that there is indeed another way besides the ‘Backway.’ Utilize social media and other digital platforms to reach youth where they are, sharing firsthand, real stories of those who lost their lives or were deported after failed migration attempts. Accurate information coupled with dialogue will have to come from the government in order to aid young people in dispelling these myths of the ‘Backway’, giving them some hope for the future within The Gambia.
- Partnerships with International Organizations The Gambian government cannot take on this crisis alone. It should also partner with international organizations like the International Organization for Migration, the United Nations Development Programme, and the African Union in laying out comprehensive strategies to address unemployment among youth and irregular migration. Such partnerships can accord financial support, technical expertise, and programmatic support to ensure that effectively targeted initiatives for the youths are realized. These organizations can also support legitimate migration channels through student exchange programs, work permits, and temporary overseas jobs that can provide young people with safer, more orderly methods of migration.
Conclusion
The death of 60 young Gambians on the ‘Backway’ to Europe is a loss that borders on a national tragedy. These are the obvious causes of this migration crisis: economic desperation, social pressures, and the absence of State protection have driven these youth to perceive that they had no other option than to leave. On the contrary, if the Gambian government invests in putting jobs out there, education reform, youth empowerment, and legal migration pathways, such tragedies in the future can be avoided and a brighter future can be guaranteed to the youths. It’s time that the government began to listen to grievances from the young generation in order to work together towards a Gambia where they will not have to risk their lives in pursuit of a better future.
