The ECOWAS Parliament has called on governments across West Africa to make the creation of decent and sustainable jobs for young people a top priority, warning that unemployment and shrinking economic opportunities continue to fuel irregular migration.

The regional legislature made the call after a week-long citizen engagement in The Gambia, where parliamentarians interacted with young people, returnees, community leaders and other stakeholders to identify the root causes of irregular migration.

Presenting the report of the engagement, head of the delegation, Hon. Billay Tunkara, said participants overwhelmingly identified unemployment, underemployment, low incomes, limited access to education and uneven economic opportunities as primary factors pushing young people to undertake these dangerous journeys.

According to the report, many young people believe that the opportunities available in their home countries do not offer a realistic pathway to prosperity, reinforcing the perception that migrating through irregular routes is a viable option.

The Parliament also found that family expectations, peer pressure and social media platforms have become powerful drivers of irregular migration, with attendees who are returnees and survivors painting a grim picture of irregular migration, detailing experiences of deception, forced labour, abuse, detention, family separation and severe psychological trauma.

However, the Parliament noted that these survivors could play a vital role in discouraging others by sharing their experiences.

Beyond awareness campaigns, the lawmakers stressed that governments must invest in vocational education, entrepreneurship, agriculture and help their citizens to access finances if they hope to reduce migration pressures.

They also called for stronger reintegration programmes for returnees, including psychosocial support, skills acquisition and livelihood assistance.

For The Gambia, the host country of the parliamentary session, speedy passage and implementation of the country's immigration bill was emphasised.

The report also recommended that the ECOWAS Parliament institutionalise citizen and student engagement across member states to strengthen parliamentary oversight and ensure that recommendations from such consultations shape future policies on migration governance.

The final draft of the report is expected to be debated during the Parliament's ordinary session before being transmitted to relevant ECOWAS institutions for implementation if adopted.