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gambia6005
Canada
79 Posts |
 Posted - 13 Nov 2007 : 18:48:02
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58 Gambian migrants drowned
afrol News, 13 November - It was a journey of no return for 58 of The Gambia's 60 would-be migrant youths who drowned at sea after their patchy boat was engulfed with fire on Friday.
The youths, who began the risky journey in the capital Banjul on Friday, wanted to sail to Europe through Spain's Canary Islands.
One of survivors [Lamin Fatty], a youth in the early 30s, who has since been helping the police in their investigations, said his brother [Musa Fatty] was among the drowned youths. The other survivor, who was in a critical condition, had been rushed to the main referral hospital in Banjul.
Each of the youths paid at US $1,000 to the captain of the boat before they embarked on a perilous and risky journey in which thousands of people lost their lives annually.
Rather looking traumatised, Fatty said the incident occurred when one of the passengers lit a cigarette lighter on an open petrol gallon which then burst into flames, thus leaving them with no option other than jumping into the sea.
A rescue team led by Gambian navy soldiers have so far recovered 8 bodies and ruled out the possibility of any survivor.
Hundred of sad people, including family members and friends of the drowned youths, gathered along the coast desperately waiting for rescuers to inform them.
Over the months, The Gambia government has done all it takes to refrain its youths from travelling to Europe through illegal means. Some deported illegal Gambians were incarcerated in the country's central prison for a month after they landed the country.
The country is also among West African countries that signed illegal immigration cooperation with the Spanish government last year.
However, economic pressures force most Gambian youths to embark on the sea journey to Europe in search of greener pastures.
Related topic: http://www.gambia.dk/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4883
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jambo
3300 Posts |
Posted - 14 Nov 2007 : 11:09:45
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my prayers are with the families, 1,000 usdollars, this captain should be made to pay the money back.  |
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turk
USA
3356 Posts |
Posted - 14 Nov 2007 : 12:35:43
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| I am very sorry to hear such tragedy. My prayers for those victims and their families. |
diaspora! Too many Chiefs and Very Few Indians.
Halifa Salah: PDOIS is however realistic. It is fully aware that the Gambian voters are yet to reach a level of political consciousness that they rely on to vote on the basis of Principles, policies and programmes and practices. |
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gambia6005
Canada
79 Posts |
Posted - 19 Nov 2007 : 19:53:49
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Home : News : Gambia News : 20 Feared Dead in Gambia Migrant Boat Capsize
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Gambia News : 20 Feared Dead in Gambia Migrant Boat Capsize
Nov 12,2007 by
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BANJUL (Reuters) - At least twenty illegal African migrants headed for Spain were feared dead after their boat caught fire and capsized off the coast of Gambia at the weekend, a survivor and police in the small West African state said.
It was the third such tragedy in as many weeks involving West Africans trying to reach the Spanish Canary Islands by sea to seek jobs and a better life in Europe.
More than 120 Africans have died or are missing feared dead in the recent incidents, which point to a seasonal pickup in clandestine migrant departures despite Spanish and European Union patrols sharply cutting overall arrivals.
Gambian police said they recovered seven bodies from the capsized boat which a survivor said was carrying 50 passengers when it caught fire and turned over in bad weather late on Saturday two km (about 1 mile) off the Gambian capital Banjul.
"I believe that 30 escaped. I showed the marine officers who came to the scene seven dead bodies. The captain of the vessel is at large. He asked us to pay him 1,000 euros to take us to Spain," survivor Lamin Fatty told Gambian TV.
Police said they believed the blaze on the boat started when fuel containers on board for the long journey to the Canaries ignited, apparently because one of the passengers was smoking.
Last year, more than 30,000 African illegal migrants landed in Spain's Canary Islands after making the long, dangerous journey in rickety open wooden boats that set off from beaches, rivers and mangrove creeks from Mauritania to Guinea.
Hundreds are believed to have drowned and several thousand were repatriated to their countries of origin.
Spanish officials say their sea and air patrols carried out with other EU partners off West Africa have helped to reduce migrants arrivals in the Canaries by as much as two thirds this year. But young Africans lured by a dream of wealth and jobs in Europe were still attempting the risky trip in their hundreds.
"There's no doubt we're seeing a temporary pick-up," a European diplomat who follows migration closely told Reuters.
MISSING RELATIVES
He said the pick-up was the result of the end of the rainy season and improved weather conditions at this time of year between Mauritania's northern Cap Blanc and the Canaries.
In downtown Banjul, hundreds of people gathered outside the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital searching for missing relatives they believed may have made the ill-fated voyage.
"We are very sad. It's unfortunate that our youths only have in their minds the idea of going to Europe rather than thinking of staying to participate in national development," said Ousman Jobe, who was looking for his nephew. Fearing prosecution, most of the survivors of the capsize had gone into hiding.
Last week, police in Mauritania said at least 47 migrants had died trying to reach the Canaries after drifting for more than two weeks off the west coast of Africa in two boats.
In late October, a Spanish fishing boat found seven corpses and one survivor in an open-topped wooden boat adrift in West African Atlantic waters 21 days after it had set off.
The lone survivor said 56 other passengers drowned, starved or killed themselves in despair after losing their way.
Spain has signed migration cooperation accords with some West African governments. These envisage more jobs for legal migrants, and offer more development aid for projects aimed at keeping young Africans in work at home. |
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 23 Nov 2007 : 00:45:16
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58 too many. May their souls rest in perfect peace. Amen
This is a matter of urgency and a national debate is needed to address this matter issue. Foroyaa is spearheading awareness on this issue and the media would be wise to do the same by commissioning informative documentaries and dramas to tackle these issues. The news of these ill fated Gambians didn't even reach the news in Britain. But at home in Gambia these peoples families are in mourning the loss of their love ones. Let's hope this great loss of life is not in vain. I hope that in December that both Gambian and Senegalese governments start to mend their trade relations by focusing on job creation in the subregion as a preventive measure to arrest the exodus of their youth to suicide missions in the Atlantic. African governments need to ensure that tenders for government contracts, or development loans include training and development elements to increase employability amongst the youth. Continent building is paramount for progressive sustainable development their is strength in Unity.
Peace
Sister Omega
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Peace
Sister Omega |
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jambo
3300 Posts |
Posted - 23 Nov 2007 : 12:05:42
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SISTER O, a few more people put in prison for people trafficking would help, these people trade on aspirations of young men. the money that is paid to them is staggering, what will happen next is somewill become drugs mules to get to europe. THE DANGERS, THE DOWNSIDE of this journey is not getting through to them.
it is time the elders in the villagers took charge and also the families in the diaspora need to feed messges back home to the youth the dangers of the trip.
JOB CREATION WOULD help and the government should hang their head in shame that this is not being created. |
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