By Dawda M. Jallow
Returnees from the so-called “backway” migration route in Brikama Jalambang have warned that they may attempt at the perilous journey again if the government fails to provide meaningful job opportunities for them.
Speaking to The Voice Newspaper recently, several young folks deported from Tunisia after failed attempts to reach Europe said their return has not diminished their determination to migrate, citing poverty, unemployment and frustration over limited prospects in The Gambia.
Ebrima Dampha, one of the returnees, says conditions at home leave him with no reason to stay.
“I see nothing that can stop this migration journey in The Gambia,” he remarked. “The reason why we leave is that we don’t see any chance of making a better living here.”
Dampha recounted enduring months of detention after his boat bound for Spain was intercepted by Tunisian authorities.
“We went through a lot. We were kept in custody for months, tortured seriously and given food meant for prisoners,” he recalled. “It was unfortunate that we didn’t make it to Europe, but that doesn’t change the reality at home.”
Muhammed Gassama, another returnee currently receiving medical treatment at Brikama General Hospital, says young Gambians are driven by desperation rather than choice.
“Leaving your motherland is not something anyone wants to do,” he said. “But if the government was doing well, we wouldn’t risk our lives.”
Gassama said he fell seriously ill in Tunisia and witnessed the death of a fellow migrant.
“One of my mates was very sick and did not survive,” he said. “I am using the little money given to us to pay medical bills. That money cannot change anyone’s life.”
Returnees criticized reintegration support of less than D50,000 as insufficient for creating sustainable livelihoods.
“It may solve small problems, but it cannot build a future,” Gassama added.
Dawda Ndow, who spent three years in Tunisia attempting to reach Europe, says he is already planning another attempt.
“None of them worked,” he said. “Now I am back, but I am already looking for another way. Giving up is not a solution.”
Sulayman Keita, a welder, said he sold his workshop and equipment in mid-2023 to fund his journey and was starting from zero again.
“That does not mean I should give up. If God wills, I will go again,” he said, accusing authorities of ignoring the struggles of ordinary youths.
“They built maisons, send their children to Europe, while we suffer. If there were jobs, no one would leave this country,” Keita reiterated.
The returnees urged government to prioritize youth employment and economic opportunities, warning that without a change in their condition, the backway migration route will remain an option for many.
