The Gambian government on Monday urged the public to remain calm amid widespread social media reports claiming that nearly 200 migrants have died at sea, while also pushing back against criticism of its employment record and migration narrative.
Speaking at a high-level end-of-year press conference held at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara Conference Centre, the Minister of Trade, Industry and Employment, Mod K. Ceesay, said the reported migrant deaths remain unconfirmed.
According to circulating claims on social media, about 190 migrants most believed to be Gambians may have perished in a recent maritime incident. Minister Ceesay described the information as unverified and stressed that the government has not received any official communication confirming such a tragedy.
“At this point, what we have is information circulating on social media,” he said. “We have not been officially informed through diplomatic or international channels.”
Nonetheless, the minister acknowledged the seriousness of the reports and expressed sympathy with affected families should the claims prove accurate.
“If the reports are anything to go by, we extend our deepest condolences to the families concerned,” he said, adding that state institutions are working to establish the facts as a matter of urgency.
The press conference also revisited the government’s record on employment, an issue closely tied to irregular migration, locally referred to as the “backway.”
Minister Ceesay cited figures from the Gambia Bureau of Statistics (GBoS), which place the national unemployment rate at 4.5 percent. He also provided an update on President Adama Barrow’s 2021 pledge to create 150,000 jobs by 2026.
A mid-term review of the pledge is currently underway, he said, and is expected to provide data-driven evidence on progress made so far. The minister clarified that the target does not imply direct government employment for 150,000 people, but rather the creation of conditions that allow both public and private sector investments to generate jobs.
“The role of government is to create an enabling environment,” he explained. “Employment comes through investment, growth and private sector participation.”
Adding to the discussion, the Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, Dr Ismaila Ceesay, questioned the long-standing assumption that unemployment is the sole driver of irregular migration.
He argued that migration decisions are increasingly complex, noting that some young Gambians who attempt the backway are skilled or already employed.
“There are young people who have jobs, who have skills, yet still choose to migrate,” Dr Ceesay said, suggesting that social expectations, peer pressure and perceptions of success abroad also play a role.
The briefing was described as the government’s final end-of-year press conference for 2025 and part of its stated commitment to transparency and public engagement.
Despite the reassurances and statistics presented, the session underscored a persistent disconnect between official data and the lived experiences of many young Gambians, for whom irregular migration remains an attractive, if dangerous, option.
As authorities await confirmation on the reported migrant tragedy, public scrutiny continues over the government’s claims of job availability and its ability to address the deeper factors driving young people to risk their lives at sea.
