Migration activist calls for the intervention of African leaders into migrants crisis in Tunisia

 

By Sheriff Saidykhan

Yahya Sonko, rights activist of Gambian migrants based in Baden wüttenberg, Germany has called African Union (AU) leaders to intervene into the growing  plight of African migrants in Tunisia. 

Speaking to Outpost in a telephone interview on Tuesday, Yahya Sonko said there is need for African leaders to address the growing worsening conditions of African migrants in Tunisia. 

“African leaders need to come together and fight this. It should not be Gambia or Nigeria, it should be African leaders coming together to find a solution to track down this human trafficking networks within Africa. To try and look for possible solutions,” he said. 

The push factors he said, has greatly contributed to the illegal migration crisis in Africa.

“I think what has contributed to the worsening conditions of African migrants is the push factors. In Africa we start complaining about migrants when something happen to them in Tunisia or Libya, or other countries. 

Usually as citizens we forget about the push factors. Classical example is Gambia and Nigeria when you follow the trend of irregular migration in Gambia and Nigeria, you will definitely know that the push factors are too high in these countries that causes the youths to come in their huge numbers through Tunisia and other countries to try to get into Italy.

When governments don't look into the push factors, youths will continue to go out in their large numbers. Thousands of Gambians are in Tunisia trying to hassle to get into Europe,” he argued. 

The human trafficking networks he said, are benefiting hugely from the migrants. 

“The human trafficking networks always take advantage of the huge numbers of African migrants. They (the human trafficking networks) misinformed them and take advantage from them by transporting them for their own purpose or gains. Given them fake informations,” he said.

Lare Sisay, retired Senior Manager at the United Nations and Development Programme (UNDP) also added his voice to the growing crisis of African migrants in Tunisia. 

“The silence of the AU and the UN about the fates of the African migrants in Tunisia 🇹🇳 is deafening!,”.