By Sulayman Waan
A cross-section of African Youth on Monday 25th of March expressed their concern over irregular migration at the ongoing African Youth Conference on unity and development at Kairaba Beach hotel.
The youth made the concern during a session on Youth and Irregular Migration to Europe as a side event of the conference.
Irregular migration has been a hot debate over the years following mass exodus of African youths to Europe through the Mediterranean Sea.
In his opening statement on Youth and Irregular Migration, Lamin Darboe, the executive director for the National Youth Council (NYC), said the session aimed at exchanging ideas regarding Youth and Irregular Migration in Africa so as to put mechanisms in place to address the challenges of African youths.
Oladipo Oluseye Eniola, a Nigerian youth said that many African youths are venturing into irregular migration to search for greener pasture in Europe.
“Even if they are working in their countries, yet they would like to travel to other part of the world so as to get greener pasture,” he said.
Another Burundi’s, Kelly Cynthia Kale, correlated the matter to lack of sufficient employment opportunities and inadequate quality education in Africa as factors to irregular migration to Europe.
“Now what are the solutions of these factors affecting the wellbeing of the African youths,” she said.
However, Shasamya Akimola also a Nigerian blamed the European Governments for the irregular migration, saying that if the European governments were given visas to African youths, they would have not embarked on irregular migration since inception.
He called on the European governments to issue visas to Africans so as to avoid irregular migration.
Ousainou Allen, a Gambian also opined that for the irregular migration syndrome to be addressed in African the educational system need to be changed, saying if the youths are equipped with the necessary skills it will help them to sustain their lives and livelihood anywhere they find themselves across the globe.
Abdoulie Singhateh, one of the officials from Gambia’s NYC disclosed that his country had received about 3500 returnees from Niger and Islamic Republic of Libya. He added that the Gambia Government should provide conducive environment for the youth who are about to be deported from Europe before their arrival to ensure that they have measures to earn their living as soon as they arrived at home.
For his part Dr. Momodou Mustapha Fanneh, a lecturer at the University of The Gambia noted that the unemployment rate in the Gambia is very high. He stated that there is need for government to work on that in order to raise the employment rate. He then added that “the Government needs to put plans in place before the returning of youths from Europe because unemployment rate is high in the country.
Saidina Alieu Jarju, a political activist described Africa as an ‘unlucky’ continent as he said that African people are not empowering the rights of people in political position.
“Let me set Gambia as an example. It [Gambia] is not a right place for youths because her leaders are without vision,” he noted.
He called on youth to participate in politics so as to hold political offices.