How disheartening to once again be reading a negative story with regard to Gambian youths and Europe. The latest bad news tells us that 49 Gambian youths have been deported from the Kingdom of Spain in recent days. The scourge of illegal migration continues to plague this nation and we are obviously not doing enough to stop it. We must redouble our efforts to tackle the root causes. It appears that many of our young people are under the impression that the illegal way is the only way to get to Europe. This is not true. We must hold up examples to them that show the best way to get to Europe is through education and hard work. For this reason we must make sure that the education that we give to our young people is of such a standard that they would be welcome in any nation on earth.
There are many Gambians who have traveled to Europe and further afield through the proper channels, and in time returned to use the expertise they have gained to benefit The Gambia. It is these people we must encourage young people to emulate and not those who would seek to travel through the illegal route.
The Spanish authorities are obviously very aware of the problem as they have offered to help us by providing funds for the construction of skills centres to enable us to train our young people. We must accept this generous gesture with open arms and ensure that the best possible use is made of the centres. Along with skills training we must ensure that we create a fertile environment for job creation and give everyone the chance to make a good living at home without ever having to set foot in Europe or the United States.
The future of our young people is in our hands. We must not fail them.
A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.
George Moore
