Youth Against Irregular Migration (YAIM)

My Magazine 2023/09

2 min

Youths Against Irregular Migration (YAIM) was officially formed by the Gambian youths who were repatriated from Libya in 2017. It aims to fight irregular migration by raising more awareness of its adverse effects and creating job opportunities for the returnees. The pursuit of socioeconomic advancement—especially among the youth - has, over the years, led to thousands of Gambian youth attempting to enter Europe through the Mediterranean Sea – a dangerous route, locally known as the "backway." This has impacted communities as whole villages have been decimated by the loss of their sons and daughters who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea.

Youth Against Irregular Migration (YAIM) is a grassroots youth organization that:

creates awareness of the causes, risks and effects of irregular migration through means such as drama, music, radio, sports, talk shows, community and school gatherings, etc.;
provides reliable and accurate information on irregular migration as well as collects relevant information from various stakeholders and spreads it to the public;
sensitizes the public on the alternatives to irregular migration and the ways to contribute to national development;
contributes to the reintegration of returnees by providing them with psychosocial support and constituting a safe space for their personal and collective development;
engages in networking with national and international stakeholders involved in migration, youth empowerment and development.

Since 2022, YAIM has been on a path of geographical expansion into the seven regions of The Gambia. With the implementation of a project with football at its core and in partnership with FANT for New Tomorrow, YAIM has upscaled its efforts to involve the Gambian youth in activities geared towards nurturing self-reliance and commonality.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:

to minimize (youth) involvement in irregular migration from The Gambia;
to challenge the mindset of considering migration as the only viable way to fulfilment;
to build the capacity, self-confidence and self-reliance of Gambian youths and returnees;
to advocate for safe, regular and accessible migration opportunities;
to participate in and inform decision-making at various levels;
to advance and achieve youth empowerment and youth representation;
to advocate for sustainable agriculture and encourage greater youth involvement in this sector;
to promote gender equality and women empowerment and representation.