By Fatou Sillah
The Executive Director of the Edward Francis Small Centre for Rights and Justice (EFSCRJ), Madi Jobarteh, has urged the government to confront the deep-seated socioeconomic conditions pushing Gambian youth into dangerous irregular migration routes, commonly known as the Backway.
Speaking on Monday at a joint press conference, Jobarteh lamented the continued loss of Gambian lives at sea and across land, describing the tragedies as a long-standing national challenge rooted in governance and societal failures.
“In all scenarios, the Gambia loses immensely. For this reason, the EF Small Centre for Rights and Justice calls on the government, its development partners, civil society organisations, and the private sector to jointly design and implement robust, sustainable, innovative, and effective measures that expand employment opportunities, improve incomes, ensure access to quality goods and services, and promote shared prosperity,” he said.
Jobarteh emphasized that irregular migration did not arise in isolation, but rather as a response to persistent hardship and limited opportunities within the country.
He noted that both skilled and unskilled Gambians are compelled to leave, not because of attitudes or mindset, but due to prevailing socioeconomic realities.
“Therefore, the core issue is not whether migration occurs through the front way or the back way, but the conditions that justify and fuel these journeys,” he stressed.
According to Jobarteh, a lasting solution requires strong, coordinated, and sustained government intervention that deliberately links education and skills training to the real economy.
He further called for increased funding and operational strengthening of youth development institutions, while underscoring the critical need for accountability in government and effective public service delivery.
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