The Gambia government has been plunged into global embarrassment after 31 Gambian youths, who were funded and sent to Spain as seasonal farm workers, reportedly absconded and disappeared into different parts of Europe.
According to reports, 37 Gambians were selected under a government-backed arrangement to work on Spanish farms for three months.
However, at the end of their contracts, only a handful respected the terms of the program. Instead of returning home, the majority fled in search of better opportunities elsewhere in Europe.
In an official statement, the Ministry of Trade and Employment confirmed the development, noting that the government had expected all 37 participants to return at the end of the seasonal work program.
“Out of 37 Gambians expected to return after completing a three-month seasonal work program in Spain, only four have arrived home,” the ministry revealed.
Permanent Secretary Mod Secka further clarified that while 31 are believed to have deliberately absconded, two missed their flight back to Banjul but arrangements are underway to facilitate their eventual return.
The incident has sparked public debate at home, with many describing it as another reflection of the desperation among Gambian youth, who see irregular migration as their only hope of survival.
The Gambia has been grappling with high levels of youth unemployment, forcing many young people to take dangerous routes across the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea in pursuit of a better life in Europe.
This government-backed program was initially hailed as a safer and legal pathway for seasonal migration, but the mass absconding has cast a shadow on the initiative and embarrassed authorities.
For many Gambians, it highlights the urgency of addressing the root causes of migration, particularly joblessness and lack of opportunities at home.
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