Abstract:
Irregular migration of youth using the perilous Mediterranean Sea or the Sahara Desert is a common practice in the Gambia. This study shows that thousands of youth from the Gambia lose their lives on this journey. The Findings revealed that irregular migration is exacerbated by poor governance that perpetuate limited economic opportunities for the youth. The study shows a decline in the number of irregular migrants from the Gambia in 2017, however, the trend is maintained recently with hundreds of lives perish in the last three years. The study revealed that bad governance and high rate unemployment of youth are widely held for this trend. The study shows that the government of the Gambia from 2020 to 2023 initiated youth employability programs such as the Youth Revolving Fund and the Youth Empowerment Program, however, both have failed to meet the expectations of youth in the Gambia. The study maintains that governance is the major course of the irregular migration of youth. This study recommends strengthening the governance of migration, mechanization of agriculture, and provisions sustainable financing schemes for youth in business, increasing access to education and vocational training for young people in the regions. This would provide them with more opportunities to find meaningful employment and reduce their incentive to undertake dangerous and illegal journeys.
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