The ECOWAS Parliament has recommended that ECOWAS Member States create decent and sustainable employment opportunities for young people in a bid to mitigate the menace of irregular migration and trafficking in persons in The Gambia and across the sub-region.
The Community Parliament also called on the Gambian government and parliament to accelerate the passage and immediate implementation of the pending immigration bill, while strengthening investments in communities particularly affected by irregular migration.
The regional body put forward these recommendations in its report following a week-long citizen engagement on the dangers of irregular migration and human trafficking, held in The Gambia from Monday, July 6 to Friday, July 10, 2026.
The report highlights several key findings that the ECOWAS Parliament delegation took cognizance of during the sessions.
Outlining these findings while tabling the report, Hon. Billay G. Tunkara stated that the first major finding was that participants consistently identified “unemployment and underemployment, low income, limited access to education and vocational skills training, and inadequate economic opportunities as major drivers of irregular migration.”
He indicated that many young people expressed the view that currently available opportunities within the country “do not provide a realistic pathway to secure a prosperous future, thereby reinforcing the perception that migration offers one of the few viable means to improve their livelihood.”
Another finding disclosed by Hon. Tunkara was that participants highlighted the significant influence of family expectations, peer pressure, and social media on migration decisions.
He noted, “Images and stories portraying successful migrants abroad, together with the financial support sometimes provided by family members to facilitate irregular journeys, continue to encourage young people to migrate despite the known dangers.”
Thirdly, he stated that testimonies from returnees and survivors “confirmed that irregular migration and trafficking in persons are not abstract concerns, but lived experiences marked by deception, exploitation, forced labour, abuse, detention, family separation, and severe psychosocial trauma.”
However, participants recognized that survivors and returnees can become powerful advocates, as their firsthand testimonies constitute one of the most credible means of sensitizing young people and the wider community.
The fourth issue detected by the delegation was that participants emphasized that awareness creation alone is insufficient to curb irregular migration.
Hon. Tunkara noted that sensitization must be accompanied by meaningful employment, entrepreneurial support, vocational skills development, agricultural modernization, access to financing, and sustained investment in youth employment.
The fifth observation underscored the critical need to strengthen reintegration support for returnees and survivors.
“Successful reintegration requires not only financial assistance, but also psychosocial care, skills development, livelihood support, job placement, community acceptance, and protection from stigma,” Hon. Tunkara stated.
Finally, participants expressed serious concerns about the high profitability enjoyed by migrant smugglers compared to the relatively weak sanctions available under the existing legislative framework, stressing the urgent need for stronger legislation, more effective enforcement, and harsher penalties capable of deterring offenders and dismantling organized crime networks.
Recommendations
To ECOWAS Member States: The Parliament recommended the critical need to prioritize the creation of decent and sustainable employment opportunities for young people through increased investment in technology and vocational education training centers.
They also called on member states to expand access to affordable entrepreneurship financing for youth, and to strengthen investment in modern surveillance and border control equipment to enhance the capacity of security agencies to prevent and combat irregular migration and migrant smuggling.
Furthermore, the regional body emphasized the necessity of strengthening legislative, institutional, and cross-border cooperation mechanisms, including enhancing intelligence sharing and coordinated enforcement actions against organized criminal networks.
To the Government and Parliament of The Gambia: Hon. Tunkara stated that the ECOWAS Parliament recommended accelerating the passage of the immigration bill to ensure its immediate implementation.
They also urged the authorities to strengthen investment in communities particularly affected by irregular migration, including through decent job creation, agricultural support, and financial backing for vocational and cultural training centers.
To Traditional and Religious Leaders, Families, Civil Society Organizations, and the Media: The regional parliament called upon these stakeholders to continue promoting sustainable public awareness campaigns to counter misinformation and misleading narratives surrounding irregular migration, thereby encouraging informed decision-making among young people and their families.
The report further recommended that families and community members actively refrain from financing irregular journeys and report suspected cases of migrant smuggling and human trafficking to the relevant authorities.
To the ECOWAS Parliament: The delegation advised that the regional parliament institutionalize parliamentary-student engagement across ECOWAS member states as a mechanism for strengthening parliamentary oversight, citizen participation, and evidence-based policymaking on matters affecting regional integration, migration governance, and human security.
Ultimately, the report called on the parliament to ensure that the concerns and recommendations emerging from this citizen engagement directly inform all subsequent parliamentary deliberations, advocacy, and oversight relating to irregular migration and trafficking in persons.
In Conclusion
Hon. Tunkara concluded by reaffirming the value of direct interaction between parliamentarians and citizens, stating, “The combination of community-based dialogue, local language communication, survivors’ testimonies, and support-based outreach strengthens our trust to promote greater public awareness and encourage the meaningful participation of young people and other community members.”
The report is now expected to be formally tabled before the members of the ECOWAS Parliament during its ordinary session for a full debate. If adopted, the Community Parliament will mandate its speaker to transmit the report to all relevant ECOWAS institutions for official implementation.
