He stated that 26 migrant boats disappeared without trace, with Gambians confirmed to be part of all 26. From these boats alone, 730 Gambians are believed to have vanished in the Atlantic, while another 74 went missing on land, mainly across desert routes and detention zones in North Africa. In total, 777 Gambians were declared missing or dead in 2025.
Two of the most devastating incidents occurred late in the year. On 17 November, a boat carrying more than 190 migrants, including women and children, departed from Jinack and was later confirmed as sunk after weeks of failed tracing. Another vessel with over 200 people, which left on 5 December remains unaccounted for as investigations continue. Families, Drammeh said, are being updated as verification efforts go on across Mauritania, Senegal, Morocco and Spain.
Drammeh explained that during the 1994–2017 Jammeh era, migration was largely driven by political repression, fear and limited opportunity. Although many Gambians used dangerous land and Mediterranean routes, deaths at sea were fewer and departures were more dispersed across the region.
“The Libyan conflict years changed everything. Libya became a major transit hub, smuggling networks expanded. West African migrants Gambians included, increasingly attempted perilous sea crossings. Still, departures were not yet concentrated directly from Gambian shores.”
The COVID-19 pandemic brought a temporary slowdown as borders closed and movement became difficult. This decline, however, reflected restrictions rather than reduced desire to migrate.”
Following the 2017 democratic transition, he said hope briefly took hold. Confidence in national reform and job creation reduced departures for several years, especially among young people who chose to stay and invest in local opportunities.
According to the Foundation, 2025 marked a sharp and dangerous reversal. Social media misinformation particularly on platforms like TikTok painted Europe as easily accessible and guaranteed success. Smuggling networks have capitalised on this narrative, targeting Gambian youth with false promises.
Many now leave secretly, without informing their families, increasing the risks and delaying rescue efforts when boats disappear.
He disclosed that despite the high death toll, 6,173 Gambians arrived in Europe in 2025. Of these, 5,119 reached Spain, travelling in 111 different boats that departed from countries including Gambia, Senegal, Mauritania, Morocco and Algeria. Another 1,054 Gambians arrived in Italy, mostly via Libya and Tunisia.
“At the same time, 8,284 Gambian migrants were intercepted, and 5,749 were deported or voluntarily returned between January and December. From Gambian shores alone, 69 boats departed, with only 24 reaching Spain, while 45 were intercepted along the route.”
Drammeh stressed that the data presented is independently collected, based on daily communication with migrants and families, and not sourced from IOM, immigration authorities or the Red Cross.
