Migrants Smugglers Could Face Murder Charges In Court

The Gambia Immigrations Department and its partner sister forces are ready to take on those engaging in trafficking young people in what is known as back way to Euroupe. It would be recalled that recently over 20 young Gambians are said to have lost their lives in their attempt to sail to the to Spain and several other boats carrying Gambian migrants are still missing in the waters. Many villages and towns are mourning their sons and daughtrs who took to the back way Europe through boats loaded in Kartong, Gunjur, Sanyang, Bakau and parts of the Fonis. These youths are traffick by people who are referred to as agents. Many familes paid nearly hundred thousand dalasis to these agents for sons and daughters to travel to Europe by boat. The commissioner of Irregular Migration Management Unit of The Gambia Immigration Department (GID) Foday Gassama said “the GID will be left with no option than to charge migrant smugglers with murder”. Gassama was speaking at the coastal village of Tanjeh, said: “GID will be left with no option than to charge migrant smugglers with murder if any boat should capsize at sea, or attempted murder if the boat hasn’t departed yet.”

“We are now doing everything possible in ensuring that we stop them from embarking on this perilous journey especially in controlling the area where they normally depart,” Gassama said. “But in most of the cases, when we control this area, the smugglers will then divert their operation to other areas. However, the good thing is that we have now detected all those places.” The smugglers, he went on, are the ones benefiting financially and causing the loss of lives to so many young Gambians. Babucarr Janneh, the Commissioner of Operation of the GID, calls on Gambians and non-Gambian to work closely with the GID in stamping out the menace of the back-way journey via the sea.

“Of recent, we were even informed about a possible departure of a migrant boat by a non-Gambian, which led to its interception. We are urging the public to help us with information anytime they suspect a particular movement. This will go a long way in saving lives and property,” he posited. On the interception of boats which happened at the coastal towns, GID deputy PRO Inspector Muhammad Bah said: “The interception took place in Gunjur at around 1 a.m. where 25 intended migrants who were to sail to Canary Islands were intercepted.” Preliminary investigation into the matter, Bah added, revealed that each of the intended migrants paid an amount of Twenty-five thousands dalasis (D25,000). “Among the 25 intended migrants, two of them were non-Gambians - one Ivorian national and one Sierra Leonean national, with three females as part of the 25 intended migrants,” the PRO said. The GID Operation Zero Departure which was launched recently, he added, will be patrolling the coastal areas with the objective of detecting any possible movement of migrants.