Four Gambian survivors of irregular migration recounted their harrowing experiences to the ECOWAS Parliament on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, during a community interface in Bakau. The event formed part of the ECOWAS Parliament's citizen engagement on Irregular Migration and Trafficking in Persons in The Gambia. Amie Jobe, Tombong Kuyateh, Alimatou Sarjo, and Fatou Cham detailed their ordeals, urging action on underlying issues.
Tombong Kuyateh stated that "the push factors are unemployment, poverty, peer influence," adding, "I ventured into the journey with hope of salvaging my parents from difficulties." Kuyateh described severe abuse, noting, "they sometimes placed us on a table, electrocuted us or beat us severely just to get that money from us." Amie Jobe warned against false promises, advising, "even if such people give you promises of jobs and take you to either Dubai and Turkey, please tell them that I am not going, because what they tell you and what is obtained in reality are not the same." Fatou Cham recalled spending "3 nights in prison" in Libya for refusing to surrender pocket money, experiencing beatings that "damaged my humanity." Alimatou Sarjo urged families not to create division based on migration success.
Survivor Testimonies Unveiled
Amie Jobe, one of the survivors, stated that she was allegedly lured into trafficking by an Immigration Officer who had promised her a communication job and had secured travel documents for her. She warned against false promises, advising, "even if such people give you promises of jobs and take you to either Dubai and Turkey, please tell them that I am not going, because what they tell you and what is obtained in reality are not the same." Jobe also emphasized the purpose of their testimonies, explaining, "This convergence is for us to share our experiences with you so that you don’t fall for their traps. The current trend is that they promise boys of securing opportunities to play in foreign countries, and if you accept you will see the realities there."
Traffickers reportedly promised travel to various destinations including Dubai, Lebanon, Morocco, Egypt, and Turkey, requiring passports and money from those seeking to migrate. Tombong Kuyateh began his journey in 2013, citing "the push factors are unemployment, poverty, peer influence." He elaborated on his motivations, stating, "I ventured into the journey with hope of salvaging my parents from difficulties, because opportunities and employment for the youth are very difficult, and when you reach the point of carrying the family matters on your shoulders, things become unbearable, all of which motivates the young people to venture into backway route." Kuyateh recounted severe abuse by traffickers, describing how "they sometimes placed us on a table, electrocuted us or beat us severely just to get that money from us." He urged government action, saying, "what is significant for us as activists concerning irregular migration is for the government to respond to the needs and concerns of the young people and address them."
Alimatou Sarjo's journey started from Mauritania. She described poor living conditions, including a house without a door that was infested by mosquitoes. Sarjo reflected on familial pressures, noting, "sometimes our parents make things very difficult for us." She appealed to families, stating, "Let’s not bring division amongst our siblings on the basis that one is in Europe doing well back home than the one at home." Sarjo expressed regret over her decision, asserting, "If I knew what I know today, I would not have spent all my earnings on migration, because of the anguish and suffocations we encountered on the journey." Fatou Cham began her journey from Banjul up to Burkina Faso. She recalled a traumatic experience in Libya, where she spent "3 nights in prison, and the reason was that they wanted me to give them the pocket money I had on me, to which I refused. All this period I spent in prison was coupled with beating and it has damaged my humanity." Cham further detailed her time in Libya, saying, "During our stay in Libya, I was captured and was in prison for four months and I sometimes go for 3 days without food and water." She eventually received money from home, which she used to continue her journey before returning in 2017.
The Perils of the Journey
Amie Jobe stated that she spent one year on her journey, a timeline she noted was shorter than that of others who spent multiple years or never returned. Tombong Kuyateh detailed difficulties encountered at checkpoints where migrants were subjected to demands for money, electrocution, or severe beatings. He recounted the tragic loss of 15 of his 30 friends in the desert, succumbing to hunger, sun exposure, and thirst. Kuyateh emphasized the extreme conditions, stating, "they sometimes placed us on a table, electrocuted us or beat us severely just to get that money from us."
Fatou Cham described her ordeal in Burkina Faso, where she spent "3 nights in prison, and the reason was that they wanted me to give them the pocket money I had on me, to which I refused. All this period I spent in prison was coupled with beating and it has damaged my humanity." Cham further explained that during her time in Libya, she was captured and imprisoned for four months. She recounted extended periods without sustenance, stating, "During our stay in Libya, I was captured and was in prison for four months and I sometimes go for 3 days without food and water." Amie Jobe warned against deceptive promises, advising, "even if such people give you promises of jobs and take you to either Dubai and Turkey, please tell them that I am not going, because what they tell you and what is obtained in reality are not the same."
Calls for Government Intervention
The community present at the engagement hailed the ECOWAS Parliament for organizing the event and called upon the Gambian government to prioritize the provision of job opportunities. Survivors noted the underlying factors driving irregular migration. Amie Jobe indicated that family pressure and poverty were significant push factors. She warned against deceptive promises, stating, "even if such people give you promises of jobs and take you to either Dubai and Turkey, please tell them that I am not going, because what they tell you and what is obtained in reality are not the same."
Tombong Kuyateh identified unemployment, poverty, and peer influence as key drivers. He explained that these factors motivated youth to embark on dangerous journeys, stating, "I ventured into the journey with hope of salvaging my parents from difficulties, because opportunities and employment for the youth are very difficult, and when you reach the point of carrying the family matters on your shoulders, things become unbearable, all of which motivates the young people to venture into backway route." Kuyateh urged governmental action, emphasizing, "what is significant for us as activists concerning irregular migration is for the government to respond to the needs and concerns of the young people and address them.”
Fatou Cham, who detailed her traumatic experiences including imprisonment and beatings in Libya, ultimately returned to The Gambia in 2017. She recalled, "When they finally sent the money, I used the same money to continue my journey because of my reason for going and by that time I had already gone far in the journey, so I decided to continue. I finally came back in 2017.”