Muhammad Camara, a Gambian immigrant in Tunisia, says that the increasing number of Gambian people stuck in that country is due to Gambian smugglers operating inside Tunisia who demand money in exchange for passage by boat to Europe.

According to Camara, under the pretense of facilitating migration, Gambian smugglers demand large sums of money in exchange for giving migrants rapid access to a boat that would enable them to traverse the Mediterranean Sea into Europe. However, they are adding to the frustration of the already-stuck Gambian refugees in Tunisia.

Camara, a native of Sukuta who spent more than 6 months in Tunisia, said these Gambian agents exploit the vulnerability of the migrants, demanding exorbitant amounts of money that most cannot afford. As a result, many migrants are left stranded in Tunisia, unable to fulfill their dreams of reaching Europe.

The community of Gambian migrants has become more desperate as a result, facing uncertainty in a foreign country. These smugglers’ acts not only make life uncomfortable for migrants from Gambia, but they also continue the cycle of exploitation and suffering that individuals trying to escape poverty must endure.

“They are not carrying out the tasks they claim to undertake. Instead, they run with the money of trapped people like me. We are now left in the dark as a result,” he emphasized in a quivering voice. “I am squatting by the oceanside while I speak to you.”

Pabi claimed that the Gambian agents are causing suffering for their own Gambian brothers who are willing to travel to Europe: “They not only refuse to assist us in crossing, but they also vanish with our money, leaving us stranded and desperate.”

Camara mentioned one Landing Bojang, a purported Gambian migration smuggler in Tunisia who is notorious for exploiting desperate migrants and profiting from their suffering.

Bojang shares close ties with several Arab traffickers in Tunisia who assist migrants in entering Europe, much like many other agents do. “They demanded payment upon our arrival, ranging from D45,000 to D60,000. They would inform you that when migrants paid them large sums of money, they would use the money to purchase an engine and a boat. When the weather is right, the honest ones will buy the boat and assist you in entering Europe.”

However, Camara claimed that Landing Bojang had taken money from more than 200 Gambian migrants and that none of them had boarded a boat headed for Europe or received their money back.

He continued by saying that those so-called agents who only deprive their fellow countrymen of the one chance they have to escape poverty and pursue a better life are to blame for the exaggerated number of stranded Gambian migrants.