By: Fatou Krubally
A survivor of human trafficking has delivered a powerful warning to Gambian youths about the dangers hidden behind promises of jobs and better opportunities abroad, urging greater awareness to prevent others from falling victim to traffickers.
Amie Jobe, a survivor of human trafficking and founder of Safe Home for Migrants, shared her story on Tuesday during an engagement between members of the ECOWAS Parliament and members of the National Assembly engaged stakeholders at the Bakau Community Centre as part of efforts to address irregular migration and human trafficking in The Gambia.
Addressing participants, Jobe said many trafficking victims are lured with promises of employment in countries such as Dubai and Turkey, only to discover that the reality is far different from what they were told before leaving home.
“I am a survivor of human trafficking,” she said. “Some people are trafficked through relatives, parents or other people they know. My story is different because the person who should have protected us was the one who put me into it.”
Jobe recalled leaving The Gambia in 2013 after being promised an opportunity to work abroad. At the time, she said, there was little public discussion about human trafficking, making it easier for vulnerable people to trust those offering overseas opportunities.
According to her, family hardship played a major role in her decision to leave. Following the death of her father, she became increasingly concerned about supporting her family as the eldest child.
“I was told I was going to work. I was told that my documents had been arranged for me, but when I arrived, I did not find what I had been promised,” she recounted.
Instead, she said, she found herself performing work that differed from the assurances she had received before travelling. She eventually spent about two years abroad before returning home.
Jobe noted that many victims remain trapped outside their home countries and are unable to reunite with their families.
“There are those who are still there and cannot return. Many are ashamed to face their families because they left with the hope of helping them but ended up facing difficulties,” she said.
She further warned that traffickers often disguise their intentions, sometimes presenting themselves as recruiters offering employment or other opportunities while pursuing entirely different objectives.
Calling for greater public awareness, Jobe stressed the importance of survivors sharing their experiences to help expose the realities of trafficking and discourage risky migration decisions.
“We the youths should be very careful,” she urged.
Her testimony formed part of ongoing discussions by ECOWAS parliamentarians and National Assembly engaged stakeholders on strengthening measures to tackle irregular migration and human trafficking in The Gambia.