By Biran Gaye
Officials of the Gambia Immigration Department (GID) have intercepted 29 suspected would-be ‘backway’ migrants of different nationalities in a coordinated operation in the North Bank Region.
The intercepted would-be migrants consisted of 17 Senegalese, 8 Gambians, 4 Conakry Guineans, and 1 Malian, says GID in a post on its Facebook page on Tuesday, 18 March.
The irregular migration route to Europe commonly known as “backway” is dangerous and often involves crossing the Mediterranean Sea in unsafe boats, putting migrants at risk of drowning or other accidents. Many Gambians who embark on this journey lose their lives, are injured, or are trapped in Libya, facing torture and hardship.
The NBR Border Patrol Unit foiled the attempt, arresting key suspects in Barra and nearby communities on Monday, 17 March 2025.
According to GID, Lamin Jammeh, a Senegalese national, confessed being a sub-agent, facilitating the officials to arrest suspected migrants, including the main agent, Abdoulie Jahateh (commonly called Papa Lie).
13 suspected migrants who were under the custody of Alfousainey Sonko, a self-proclaimed marabout were nabbed in Bakalarr village, the immigration department said.
It added that Pateh Sarr, a known boat builder from Barra, was questioned about the intended wooden boat, which was later found unfinished. Migrants can also face exploitation and abuse by smugglers and traffickers.
With investigations already underway, the GID reaffirms its commitment to combating irregular migration.
The North Bank Region, particularly Barra, Essau, Toubakolong and Bakam, has been a departure point for migrants, with migrants meticulously planning to evade the Immigration authorities. Some of the departures took place from remote inland locations (swampy mangrove areas) while others are launched from well-known hotspots.
In recent years, the Gambia Immigration and The Gambia Police have played an important role in reducing or disrupting the number of boat departures through their intervention.
The significant number of campaigns to recruit would-be migrants also reflects the new migratory dynamics towards Europe from West and Central Africa and the growing importance of the Atlantic route to reach Europe.
Economic Hardship and Lack of Opportunities:
The Gambia government and its partners have piloted programmes including the Youth Empowerment Program to create employment opportunities, more needs to be done to curb the surge in Gambian migrants taking illegal route to Europe.
The Gambia faces high youth unemployment (around 41%) and a struggling economy heavily reliant on remittances, agriculture and tourism, forcing many to resort to the ‘backway’.
Remittances from Gambians living abroad are a significant source of income for the country, further incentivizing migration.
Many Gambians perceive Europe as offering better job prospects and higher wages, making many to embark on the “backway” to escape poverty and improve living standards.
Social pressure and the perceived inability to fill a social role is believed to be one of the factors contributing to the trend.
