Abstract:
Migration is as old as human existence and it has been a suitable option for residence
faced with disasters. The movement of people within the African continent can be traced
far back to precolonial era. When people in the western Sudan were deeply engaged in
trade with their northern counterparts. However, the irregular/clandestine/illegal
migration of people between Africans and Europeans had predated colonisation of
Africans. But this was not made an issue until recently, when mass exodus of African
youths to Europe gained public attention both in the print and electronic media. The
irregular migration of The Gambia’s youths to Europe is well documented in the
country’s history. These youths are mostly from the rural areas where farming is the
predominant economic activity and the source of livelihood. With the advent of climate
change and climate variability, farming is likely be impacted so seriously that many
more youths relying on rainfed agriculture will be tempted to migrate. Consequently,
the study therefore investigates the effects of climate extremes on illegal migration of
The Gambia’s youths. It specifically: assesses the perception and causes of illegal
migration; examine the effects of floods and droughts on illegal migration; identify
problems faced by youths during journeys to their destination; identify their coping
strategies during the perilous journey; and evaluate measures taken by the government,
civil society groups and other organized institutions to address illegal migration of
youths. The research employed both qualitative and quantitative research designs were
illegal migrants and returnees formed the sample of 105 respondents. These interviewees
were selected by snow ball sampling. A second group of interviewees were parents of
the illegal migrants that were 10 groups of 8 in the four Regions. Also 12 Key Informants
Interviews drawn from institutions dealing with climate change and migration nexus
were done. The data was analysed using statistical packages for social sciences (SPSS Version 20), Micro soft excel (2013) and Arc GIS 10.3 software application. The
research established that climate extreme events specifically flood and drought had been
pronounced in the four regions under study. Long dry spells are more severe in NBR
and CRR than in URR and WCR. This is negatively impacting all farming communities
in the regions and it is fast-tracking the migration of the youths. Furthermore, the odds
evicting youths from their home to take the perilous journey commonly called the
“Backway” is worsen by dreadful scenes they encounter. Notwithstanding, the illegal
migrants sought numerous strategies earmarked to keep them moving at all cost. Finally,
both Government and its development partners like the EU are actively engaged in
addressing illegal migration of the youths. But their efforts are thwarted by inadequate
understanding of the hybrid of issues surrounding the theme. The uncertainty of climate
change phenomenon and limited understanding of climate variability and migration
nexus complicated the issues further. Many climate extremes related mobility and
mortality are preventable through education, good floodplain management, and early
warning systems. These make it a sine qua non to integrate climate change related
extremes like floods and drought into the national school curriculum. The findings will
further contribute to shape and reform public policies relevant to youth development,
and societal resilience to hostile effects of climate change.