Lawyer and former presidential candidate Essa Faal has pledged to address the ongoing exodus of young Gambians risking their lives on the dangerous backway route to Europe, promising to stem the tide through targeted job creation.

Faal, who entered politics in 2021 after serving as lead counsel at the Gambia’s Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC), criticised the current government for failing to provide opportunities that would keep young people at home.

“Any boy, or even girl, you talk to will tell you they prefer taking the backway rather than staying in this country,” he told journalists.

Blaming the Barrow administration’s “lack of vision,” Faal said the limited opportunities available were pushing Gambians, particularly the youth towards irregular migration.

“And this is due to the limited opportunities available in this country,” he added.

Faal said that, if elected, he would prioritise youth employment and skills development, arguing that real investment in young people would drastically reduce the number of migrants making the perilous journey to Europe.

“I wouldn’t say that no one will risk taking the backway, but it will be minimal,” he said. “And this is why I came into politics to save this country.”

By Adama Makasuba