Permit me to use your widely read newspaper to express my opinion and give suggestions on this deadly route to Spain. It is an existing fact that the issue of travelling to Spain through the back way has indeed reached a critical point where the law of silence can no longer prevail. In other words, failing to denounce this current trend constitutes a suicidal approach.

African youths continue to defy the European citadella by risking their life through a trip via the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea or Red Sea, placing their actions under “no work in The Gambia, Spain the way out.” This is quite wrong and such logic needs to be stigmatised. Almost all self-employed key positions are foreign owned. Numerous examples have shown that some Gambian are still reluctant to venture into the sectors of tailoring, carpentry, mechanics. Paradoxically,  most of these jobs are done  by foreigners.

Consequently, Gambians complaining about lack of employment, leave vast opportunities of chasing their dreams in The Gambia, instead of in Spain and Europe.

Against this background, our President, His Excellency has done a lot for our youths to be self-employed. But it all comes to the saying that you can pull a horse to the river side, but you cannot force it to drink.

My suggestion is that, the media should be used as a tool to help combat this deadly route. A huge campaign of sensitisation needs to be engaged on in order to help the Gambian government to tackle this phenemenon. A global approach should embrace radios, TV, newspapers so as to raise awareness on the dangers of illegal migration.

Also there should be recreational facilities, especially in the rural areas to keep our youths self-employed. We, as youths, should understand that, not only working in an office is called a job, there are many other ways we can help ourselves to better our lives.

We should understand that the backbone of a country is its youths and that we are the future leaders of tomorrow. What would the future hold for the Gambia if its future leaders are involved in such deadly acts. Let us realise ourselves as future leaders and develop the feeling of patriotism and also use our limited resources to generate more for the betterment of our nation.