Youths Vow to Return to Europe

The last week deportation of a total number of 49 Gambian youths from the Kingdom of Spain has failed to break the resolve many youths who expressed their readiness to brave the precarious conditions to enter Europe despite the attendant consequences.

The search for greener pastures, which has been pursued as a matter of life and death by many a hope-starved Gambian youths, has in recent times been a source of worry, and all attempts to arrest the trend have come to nought as many continue to embark on the expedition.

The Point’s no. 2 Garba Jahumpa Road office was yesterday virtually overwhelmed when some aggrieved youths who claimed to have formed part of the latest batch of deportees stormed the newspaper’s newsroom to vent their dissatisfaction. “I have been in Spain for the past five months but I have never done anything that is against the laws of that country. So the authorities’ decision is that they have deported us, which was not exactly what they told us. We have not done anything wrong”, said one of the affected youths.

Quizzed as to whether he entered Spain through the illegal way, he responded in the negative, arguing that despite entering through the “

Europe, which has for years been looked forward to by

African youths as the only solution, is, in the view of many, a land full of opportunities. This is however not the case in the minds of many who believe that Africa too has a lot of potential and one should therefore be industrious enough to make the most of the opportunities available.

One Omar Conteh, a native of Baddibu, North Bank Region, blamed their deportation on those he termed as some unscrupulous Gambians in Spain. “You have some Gambians in Spain who are definitely not patriotic citizens of this country. How can you see your fellow Gambian and you pretend that you never know him before and at the end you even report him to the authorities so that he or she could be deported?” he fumed.

“If anyone tells you that the situation in Europe is horrible, then he or she is telling you the wrong information. You earn far more in few hours in Europe than you earn here in a month in Africa, especially in The Gambia,” said one Mustapha Jarju, adding that he would do all he could to get back to Spain.

Another angry youth said: “Enough is enough. Our governments cannot provide jobs for us and they should accept that they can’t. The remuneration out there is better than it is here. So we have to go.

“We have been struggling in this country day and night just to earn a living but it seems nothing could be achieved here. We’ve spent thousands of dalasis just to enter Spain or any other country in Europe. It is not our wish definitely but I believe we have to go.”

This latest batch of deportees from the Kingdom of Spain comes on the heels of a few others in the recent past, involving mostly youths who embark on precarious, mostly sea, voyages to reach the European mainland.

It could be recalled that in July 2007, a total number of 75 Gambian youths were flown in to Banjul escorted by Spanish police officers. Each of these returnees according to reports, were given an envelope of 300 Euro.

However, the search for a solution has led to an agreement on co-operation in the area of immigration between the governments of The Gambia and Spain, whereby the Spanish government has pledged to provide funds for the construction of skills centres with a view to creating some vocation for the youth, as a way of curbing illegal migration. It is however note worthy that the agreement is yet to be implemented.

Up to 49 Gambian youths were on Monday repatriated from the Kingdom of Spain, The Point has been reliably informed. The youths, who were flown in to Banjul on Monday night, were reported to have been escorted by Spanish police officers. Chief Superintendent Olimatou Jammeh-Sonko, Immigration PRO, confirmed the story.

The latest batch of deportees from the Kingdom Spain comes on the heels of a few others in the recent past, involving mostly youths who embark on precarious, mostly sea, voyages to reach the European mainland.

Like many African countries, The Gambia has lost many of its citizens, mainly youths, on the seas en route to Spain and, despite the recurrence in loss of lives, many are still willing to brave the evident dangers just to enter Europe, which African youths have for years looked forward to as the only solution in their quest for better life.

It is widely believed that most African youths attribute their extreme decision to the inability of their respective countries to provide jobs or, when they could, the remuneration is not comparable to those in Europe.

Spain says a feasibility study for an undersea tunnel to connect Spain and Morocco is in the final stages. If the project goes ahead and construction begins, trains carrying both passengers and goods are expected to start using the tunnel in 2025. The tunnel would be 40km long and pass 300m under the Mediterranean Sea. The undersea link would unite North Africa and Europe for the first time since the continents separated more than 200 million years ago.

Many people in Africa will rejoice at this news. It would be beneficial not only for the movement of goods but also for the movement of people. It would benefit tourism and would be a much safer and more fuel-efficient way of moving between the two continents. As stated above the two have not been connected for more than 200 million years so this project could mark a new beginning in the relationship between Africa and Europe.

Unfortunately not everybody sees it in this positive light. The BBC is reporting that “the prospect of a physical connection between their country and the poorest continent in the world is alarming to some Spaniards.” It can be said with little doubt that other European nations on the mainland of the continent will also be viewing the proposal with less than favourable eyes. They fear Africans. They have the view that Africans merely want to come to Europe and stage what seems to amount in their minds to an invasion. For this reason Africans in Europe often suffer and are relegated to the sidelines of the employment industry in menial, unskilled jobs even though they are highly qualified. This image of invading Africans is not helped by the number of young men who leave the shores of The Gambia in boats which are not seaworthy, risking life and limb to live illegally in Europe. We must ensure that our education system is of such a standard that young people leaving this country are doing so legally and with the highest qualifications possible. This and only this will reverse the mindset which holds sway in Europe that hordes of Africans are aiming to land on their shores. In so many cases fear leads to irrational thoughts and in this is feeding into a modern racism where Africans are seen as nothing more than a nuisance by some Europeans. We will have to work hard to change this mindset but change it we must. We can do this by showing beyond all reasonable doubt that we have the same potential as any other human beings on this planet and that we help our children to achieve this potential by giving them the finest education we can. When we do this they can get a train to Europe legally with qualifications in their pockets if they wish or they can stay here in an economy of hopefully growing opportunity to helps pass on their knowledge to the next generation.

The youths, who were intercepted at the Banjul ferry terminal, were said to be waiting for a boat bound for Dakar where they were supposed to meet their agent, one Mr Musa, to whom they paid D20,000.00 each.

The practice of embarking on perilous sea voyages has in recent years been an all too common phenomenon that has taken its toll on life and limb of African youths, most especially Gambians who resolve to reach the European mainland by all means.

According to Inspector Sulayman Secka, Police Public Relations Officer, the 14 youths are presently at the Banjul police station. “We want to invite their parents because most of them said they were given money by their parents.

“What we want the youths to understand is that we don’t resist them to go to Europe but let them go through the right channel because it is suicidal to go to Europe through the back way,” he said.

The police spokesperson called on the parents to encourage their children to travel legally rather than risk their lives on such perilous journeys just to enter Europe. He also called on the general public to be vigilant and inform the police whenever such incidents are about to happen or have happened.

A news release from the Department of State for Foreign Affairs has revealed that Mr. Kebba Satou Touray, Gambia’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain, has presented his letters of credence to His Majesty, King Juan Carlos, at the Madrid Royal Palace.

According to the release, Ambassador Touray, in a brief tête-à-tête after his presentation, conveyed a massage of greetings to King Juan Carlos, his Government and the people of Spain, from His Excellency President Jammeh, his government and the entire people of The Gambia.

“In conveying the President’s message, Ambassador Touray briefed His Majesty on the development aspirations and agenda of the Gambian leader, for his country, the West African sub-region and the African continent,” the release noted.

Ambassador Touray also assured the King of President Jammeh’s desire to co-operate with the Kingdom of Spain in pursuit of the mutual development goals of the two countries within the context of international co-operation and solidarity.

He emphasised the need for co-operation in the fields of trade, investment, tourism, agriculture, energy and technology/skills transfer. Ambassador Touray further informed the King that his immediate priority would be to conclude a comprehensive development co-operation framework between The Gambia and Spain, which would establish the basis for meaningful co-operation between the two countries.

In response, King Juan Carlos of Spain welcomed Ambassador Touray to the community of diplomats in Spain and asked him to convey his most sincere greetings to his brother and friend, President Jammeh, the government and people of The Gambia.

King Juan Carlos expressed his delight in receiving a permanent envoy of The Gambia to Spain and said that the development marked a giant step in the diplomatic and bilateral relations between the two countries. He assured Ambassador Touray that his government would do everything within its means to support and co-operate with The Gambia in all fields of interest to both countries for the realisation of their development objectives.

In the area of migration, the king assured Ambassador Touray that Spain would provide full support and co-operate with The Gambia in addressing the issue of migration and other related issues, through sustainable programmes for both countries. He finally asked Ambassador Touray to assure President Jammeh that The Gambia could count on Spain as a true friend.

Like many African countries, The Gambia has lost many of its citizens, mainly youths, on the dangerous seas between Spain and Morocco and despite the recurrence in grievous loss of lives, many are still willing to brave the precarious conditions to enter Europe, which African youths have for years looked on as the only solution.

It has been reported last week that a total of 22 Gambian youths were intercepted in Senegal in a suspected attempt to sail to Spain. The youths, who would have contributed immensely to nation building, were apprehended by the Senegalese security forces on Tuesday along with their Senegalese accomplices as they boarded a boat bound for Spain.

The practice of embarking on perilous, mostly sea, voyages has in recent years been an all too common phenomenon that has taken its toll on life and limb of African youths who resolve to reach the European mainland by all means.

How sorrowful, considering the price of the misadventure. It is costing many a hope-starved African youth a great deal of money which they and their families have to raise through a variety of difficult means. The huge amounts involved in such perilous journeys would have helped many youths to establish small businesses if not a big one that would benefit not only them but the country at large.

Most African youths attribute their extreme decision to the inability of their respective countries to provide jobs or, when they could provide them, fail to guarantee the kind of remuneration at least reasonably comparable with that which can be earned in Europe. In so many cases in The Gambia now we see people working very hard for very little money which does not even cover the rising cost of basic commodities.

Be that as it may, the thing that our youths should understand about the dream of Europe is that all that glitters is not gold. In so many cases when people have succeeded in making it there, they find themselves in such unexpected situations that they have to lead lives of terrible poverty and suffered shocking discrimination.

Africa has a lot of potential and one should therefore be steadfast. The search for greener pastures should not be pursued as a matter of life and death.

“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.”

Henry David Thoreau.

A total of 22 Gambian youths are reported to have been intercepted in Senegal in a suspected attempt to sail to Spain. The youths were apprehended by the Senegalese security forces on Tuesday along with their Senegalese accomplices as they boarded a boat bound for Spain.

When contacted, Chief Superintendent Olimatou Jammeh-Sonko, Public Relations Officer Gambia Immigration Department (GID), confirmed the story.

She added that the 22 people were returned to The Gambia yesterday and are currently under the custody of GID for routine screening.

The practice of embarking on perilous, mostly sea, voyages has in recent years been an all too common phenomenon that has taken its toll on life and limb of African youths who resolve to reach the European mainland by all means.

Baldeh Kunda, a charitable organisation based in The Gambia with branches in Belgium, Israel and Spain, has recently awarded 35 people for their efforts in contributing to national development.

The Vice President Dr. Isatou Njie Saidy was among those honoured at the recent ceremony.

According to Mr. Momodou Baldeh, the CEO of Baldeh Kunda, the organisation was formally set up in 2004 and formally had its name branded in black and white by the Attorney General on the 1st of January 2007.

In an exclusive interview with The Point CEO Baldeh said that the aim of the organisation is to focus on education particularly in rural areas. Their first priority is to help children attain a quality education so that The Gambia can forge ahead vigorously in the 2004 – 2015 education policy blueprint.

Mr. Baldeh also said that the organisation aims to compliment government efforts in the area of empowerment as well as their quest for habitual development. He further revealed that in 2007 alone the group helped over 120 orphans and needy children by paying their school fees and other forms of social assistance.

Nationally and internationally over 420 members have been registered with the NGO with 28 registering in The Gambia.

In conclusion Mr. Baldeh said that this year the organisation will be focusing on URR, adding that it has presently established six branches across the globe.