{"id":70157,"date":"2024-12-12T16:42:11","date_gmt":"2024-12-12T16:42:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/uncategorized\/changing-the-narrative-on-migration-in-the-gambia"},"modified":"2024-12-12T17:55:56","modified_gmt":"2024-12-12T17:55:56","slug":"changing-the-narrative-on-migration-in-the-gambia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/gambia\/all-news\/changing-the-narrative-on-migration-in-the-gambia","title":{"rendered":"Changing the Narrative on Migration in the Gambia\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Gambia. <\/strong><\/span>Let me start by asking a question. How many lives must we lose before we say enough is enough? How many tears must a mother cry? How many young Gambian dreams must sink to the bottom of the Mediterranean before we open our eyes to the truth?<\/b><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s talk about the narrative. The story so many young people believe the fairy tale that Europe is some magical land where the streets are paved with gold, where euros fall from trees, where everyone drives big cars and lives in mansions. A lie wrapped in a shiny bow and delivered straight to their phones, their Facebook feeds, and their WhatsApp groups.<\/p>\n

But let me tell you something. Europe is not paved with gold. In fact, for far too many of our brothers and sisters, Europe is paved with broken dreams, cold streets, and the harsh reality of rejection.<\/p>\n

Because here\u2019s the truth. The majority of asylum applications from Gambians are rejected. Why? Because most of them don\u2019t qualify under asylum laws. They are sent back deported, defeated, and disillusioned. And that\u2019s if they\u2019re lucky enough to survive the journey.<\/p>\n

Now, let me ask you. Have you seen the images of what is happening in Libya? Have you seen the footage of young African Gambians beaten, starved, sand old as slaves? Sold like cattle! This is not a horror movie. This is real life. And yet, we continue to believe the lie.<\/p>\n

And where does this lie come from? Social media. The filtered photos, the flashy updates from those who\u2019ve made it to Europe and are too ashamed to show the truth. They don\u2019t show you the cramped shelters, the cold nights sleeping on park benches, the daily battle to survive without papers or dignity.<\/p>\n

But let\u2019s not just blame social media. Let\u2019s be honest with ourselves. Our own communities fuel this fantasy. The uncle who comes back from Italy once a decade in a shiny suit, acting like he owns the world. The neighbor sends a few euros back home and suddenly everyone forgets the risks they took and the lives that were lost along the way.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve turned this dangerous journey the back way into a rite of passage when it should be a cautionary tale.<\/p>\n

Do you know what\u2019s heartbreaking? It\u2019s not just the young men anymore. It\u2019s the young women, the mothers, the fathers. People who are so desperate to escape poverty and hopelessness that they\u2019ll risk everything for a dream that doesn\u2019t exist.<\/p>\n

Let me tell you about Europe. Europe is cold not just in weather, but in its welcome. Europe has its problems. It doesn\u2019t have room for everyone. And let\u2019s be honest, it\u2019s not waiting with open arms for Gambians to come and live the good life. That\u2019s not how it works.<\/p>\n

This is not just a Gambian problem. This is the humanitarian crisis of our century. The Mediterranean has become a graveyard. Thousands of our brothers and sisters have died trying to cross it. Thousands more are trapped in detention centers, living lives of unspeakable suffering.<\/p>\n

So, what do we do? How do we change the narrative?<\/p>\n

First, we tell the truth. The raw, ugly, unfiltered truth. That\u2019s why AMAC is translating the hard-hitting documentary Libya\u2019s Migrant Hell into Mandinka, Wolof, and other local languages. Because our people need to see what really happens.<\/p>\n

Second, we start conversations. We host screenings in communities, on TV, and YouTube. But we don\u2019t stop there. After the screenings, we sit down with the youth, the parents, and the elders, and we talk. We listen. We ask the tough questions \u201cIs this the future you want for your child? Is this the risk you\u2019re willing to take?\u201d<\/p>\n

Third, we offer alternatives. Because let\u2019s be honest. The backway isn\u2019t just about greed or ambition. It\u2019s about hopelessness. It\u2019s about young people who feel they have no options. We need to give them hope, opportunities, and reasons to stay.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t just about stopping migration. It\u2019s about saving lives. It\u2019s about giving our youth the chance to dream differently. To dream of building something here, in The Gambia, rather than chasing a fantasy abroad.<\/p>\n

And finally, it\u2019s about us every single one of us. Because changing the narrative isn\u2019t just AMAC\u2019s job. It\u2019s not just the government\u2019s job. It\u2019s everyone\u2019s job. It\u2019s the uncle who brags about life in Europe. It\u2019s the mother who pushes her son to go, thinking it\u2019s the only way. It\u2019s the elder who sits silently, watching the youth leave without speaking up.<\/p>\n

So, I\u2019m asking you. W hat will you do to change the narrative?<\/p>\n

The Gambia doesn\u2019t need to lose another generation to the backway. We don\u2019t need more graves in the Mediterranean. We don\u2019t need more families torn apart by lies and desperation.<\/p>\n

We need hope. We need truth. And most of all, we need each other.<\/p>\n

Source: voice of gambia<\/b><\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Gambia<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Gambia. Let me start by asking a question. How many lives must we lose before we say enough is enough? How many tears must a mother cry? How many young Gambian dreams must sink to the bottom of the Mediterranean before we open our eyes to the truth? Let\u2019s talk about the narrative. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":70156,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,6],"tags":[260],"class_list":["post-70157","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-files","tag-gambia"],"yoast_head":"\nChanging the Narrative on Migration in the Gambia\u201d - Gambia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Let me start by asking a question. How many lives must we lose before we say enough is enough? 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