Members of The National Youth Parliament In Chambers In Banjul
By Ramatoulie Jawo
The National Youth Parliament (NYP) adopted a motion on Tuesday urging the Gambian government to implement measures aimed at enhancing youth employment opportunities and curbing irregular migration across the country.
Presenting the motion for consideration and adoption, Kombo South youth representative Omar Manjah cited the 2022 National Volunteer Review Report from GMC, noting that The Gambia remains one of the top Sahel countries witnessing a rise in migration attempts, shipwrecks, and arrivals to the Canary Islands.”Conversations such as the ECOWAS free movement of persons, the African continental free trade area, and the right to freedom of movement in Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights all guarantee rights and safety to move within the framework of laws. Despite these guarantees, the Gambia Continues to mourn the tragedies of irregular migration,” he stressed.
He pointed out that according to the 2024 housing and population census report from the GBoS, 60% of the youth population is impacted by irregular migration and other natural circumstances, a figure that could have been even higher without these challenges.
Manjah expressed gratitude to the government for its progress on policies and bilateral agreements, such as the Bilateral Labor Agreement and the National Migration Policy for 2020 to 2030, as well as the operationalization of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.”Despite the limited achievement of our recommendations, we deem it important to bring back the same motion in the 2024 session to call the attention of the government as the representative of the youths of the Gambia. Every community continues to feel the shocking waves and the silent death traps in the sea and in the desert. The complexities surrounding irregular migration in the Gambia reflect broader socio-economic challenges and the urgent need to put in place comprehensive strategies to mitigate and tap the expertise of these young people for a robust and transformative socio-economic development of our dear nation,” he emphasized.
During the debate on the motion, Alassan Cham, the youth representative for Bakau, called for a public-private partnership to combat irregular migration, noting that his constituency has been particularly vulnerable, with many young lives lost in the Mediterranean Sea.
“I think it is crucial for the government to look into partnering with the private institutions that we have in the Gambia to be able to make sure that they have those employment opportunities created for the young people of the Gambia,” he said.
Other members echoed the call for the government to prioritize youth issues and develop more job opportunities, allowing young people to envision a future in The Gambia and contribute to the nation’s development.