President Adama Barrow has warned that anyone caught smuggling people to Europe will face life imprisonment, following the tragic boat capsizing off the Gambian coast last December that claimed dozens of lives.

A locally made wooden boat, which departed from the coastal village of Jinak at the end of 2025 carrying 225 migrants, including women and children, capsized off the coast. Seven bodies have been recovered so far, with search efforts ongoing and dozens feared dead.

Speaking at a rally in Mamuda village in the Kombo region, President Barrow accused some parents of funding the dangerous trips for their children, describing their actions as participating in a “suicide mission” for their loved ones.

Although he did not declare the situation a national emergency, Barrow said he would invite opposition parties to help launch a national sensitisation campaign on irregular migration.

He called for the matter to remain non-partisan, urging collective action to combat the perilous “backway” journeys.

He also reiterated that anyone caught smuggling people to Europe would face severe penalties.

“Anyone caught smuggling people through the backway will be prosecuted and jailed for life. Even women found guilty will be penalised,” he declared.

Addressing claims that the rise in irregular migration is driven by economic hardship and unemployment, Barrow dismissed them as false.

“There is no one in this country who does not eat three square meals a day,” he said, adding that some of the migrants feared dead included employed police officers and nurses.

He further noted that Gambians living illegally in Europe face deportation, but his government has refused offers to accept them, a decision he said now complicates visa approvals for the country.

By Adama Makasuba