The Edward Francis Small Centre for Rights and Justice (EFSCRJ) has issued a stark warning about The Gambia’s deepening migration crisis following the recent capsizing of a migrant boat off the coast of Jinack village, which claimed at least 39 lives and left dozens missing.
In a strongly worded statement released today, the human rights organization expressed “profound grief” and extended condolences to the families of the victims while wishing a speedy recovery to the 102 survivors rescued by the Gambia Navy and local volunteers. The overloaded vessel, carrying over 200 migrants bound for Europe, capsized on New Year’s Eve in the North Bank Region.
EFSCRJ described the recurring “Backway” journeys – irregular migration routes across the Atlantic – as “unsafe, dangerous, and unacceptable,” urging youth to avoid them. However, it emphasized that these tragedies stem from longstanding structural issues, including deprivation, limited opportunities, and economic hardship that have plagued Gambian society for decades.
“Migration is a human right,” the statement read, “but when driven by desperation, it demands honest national conversations on socioeconomic and governance failures.” The group noted that both unskilled and highly educated Gambians are fleeing, united by poor prospects at home rather than by a shared mindset.
Highlighting a “fundamental structural contradiction,” EFSCRJ pointed out that diaspora remittances exceed 30% of GDP, sustaining households, education, healthcare, and businesses – yet the government has failed to create dignified opportunities domestically. This fuels brain drain and loss of life.
The organization praised the majority of Gambian youth who remain and contribute as workers across various sectors, but decried persistent frustrations stemming from low wages, rising costs, and weak services. Alarmingly, even formal sector employees are risking the Backway.
Citing the Government’s 2025 Labour Survey, which shows 41% of youth not in education, employment, or training (NEET), EFSCRJ argued that without viable conditions and effective governance, migration – regular or irregular – will persist, costing the nation dearly.
The group called for collaborative action by government, partners, civil society, and the private sector to expand job opportunities, improve incomes, and promote prosperity. It criticized ad hoc development, underfunded youth institutions such as the National Youth Council, and centralized programs that neglected rural areas.
Recommendations include linking education to the economy, establishing low-interest financing for youth entrepreneurs, decentralizing institutions, and boosting funding for skills training and sectors such as tourism and technology.
In the interim, EFSCRJ demanded enhanced coastal surveillance to prevent illegal boats and prosecutions of organizers.
