Gambians are among 767 African migrants rescued in the Mediterranean Sea as their dinghy boats heading to the Italian Island of Lampedusa got into troubles. 

Ebrima Drammeh, Italy-based Gambian migrant activist and a reliable source for Gambiana said: “in just 20 hours 18 different boats where rescued with 767 migrants in the sea all heading to Lampedusa in Italy. The boats are carrying migrants from Benin, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Nigeria and Senegal.”

Hundreds of Gambians have risked their lives to take on the perilous ‘backway’ route to Europe through the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea in search of greener pastures. 

Scores of the travelled young Gambians and even those back at home blamed both the past and present Gambian governments for failing to create jobs for youths.

But despite risking their lives through the deadly route to Europe, many are deported back to the Gambia.   

The Gambia government has been accused of signing a deportation agreement with the European Union. However, the government denied the allegation as false. 

Reporting by Adama Makasuba