14 Gambians Arrested in Attempt to Sail to Spain

The youths, who were intercepted at the Banjul ferry terminal, were said to be waiting for a boat bound for Dakar where they were supposed to meet their agent, one Mr Musa, to whom they paid D20,000.00 each.

The practice of embarking on perilous sea voyages has in recent years been an all too common phenomenon that has taken its toll on life and limb of African youths, most especially Gambians who resolve to reach the European mainland by all means.

According to Inspector Sulayman Secka, Police Public Relations Officer, the 14 youths are presently at the Banjul police station. "We want to invite their parents because most of them said they were given money by their parents.

"What we want the youths to understand is that we don't resist them to go to Europe but let them go through the right channel because it is suicidal to go to Europe through the back way," he said.

The police spokesperson called on the parents to encourage their children to travel legally rather than risk their lives on such perilous journeys just to enter Europe. He also called on the general public to be vigilant and inform the police whenever such incidents are about to happen or have happened.