By: Mustapha Paragon Sonko
To begin with, I have granted myself the right to use two villages I dearly love in The Gambia to share my message with you. And if you see an elephant going through the eye of a needle for this act, brace yourself for that terrific scene because a Fula man might ask, “What about Bureng instead of Kaur?” That sort of whataboutism and raising eyebrows about everything related to migration is the crux of this reflection.
Whataboutism is a hindrance to development. It is a weak form of argument often used to deflect criticism by pointing at another issue instead of staying on the matter at hand. This has been manifested in discussions regarding the October 7th (Hamas rampage and Netanyahu’s genocidal journey). It has also been manifested in Banjul when the leader of the yellow army asked how the Mankanmang Kunda man was given land by the government. The last time I talked about racism in Kudang, I was asked about the racism in Kaur. The same is true for migration issues—controversy vs. conviction. If we do not call a spade a spade, we will have to call it a pickaxe, and I am sorry, I will not even call a spade a shovel.
Migration is a right that must be accepted even by those small boys and girls at the UTG. As a native of Faraba, I was surprised to hear students’ resentment when UTG migrated to Faraba because my lecturers were burdening me with a lot of thorny assignments. I was unable to tell those so-called Kombo kids to chill and get to Faraba. In a twist of events, I saw the same funny kids taking photos at the Faraba Campus and posting them online less than a month after migration. In Jola, we would have called some of them “Kutabarak.” But the good thing for us is that the Faraba campus is here to stay, and all those kids must come to our village “Bai and Forceee.” I even heard some of them saying Faraba ‘Defa Sorri,’ ‘Faraba Janfata leh,’ but my Fulani people were afraid to talk loudly, and I understand why.
No matter how well you know Kudang, there is no chance that you will know it better than Lañg Kudang. As a native of Faraba, I also know that no matter how well you know Faraba, you can’t know the nooks and crannies better than Lang Faraba. That’s not debatable. However, there are possibilities of making a good guess based on natural reasons. For example, I’ve never been to Ghana, but I’m certain that dinner is eaten at night in Accra.
When I dropped the racism article about Kudang, I was not claiming to put everyone’s experience in my article, nor does my experience represent everyone’s plight. But who am I to presume that folks will not react negatively? That’s the world, and the world is probably too wide. It is high time you too share your juicy story about Kudang so that we both learn. But as a migration student and one who advocates for the free movement of persons, I won’t sit and watch certain things happen without giving my opinion. Migration is the business of everyone; it’s the one thing that European policy is anchored on, and the more reasons you have ministers for migration. The Global South is at the receiving end. This does not mean that the Global South is not to blame for all the brouhaha.
Since you have been living in Kudang for 10 years and don’t want to tell people anything about Kudang or have the conviction that Kudang is okay, that does not mean that I shouldn’t share my experience about the other sides of Kudang. The truth is, no matter how long you stay in Kudang, just take a chill pill as this pen will continue to share experiences that will help would-be migrants in their decisions and expectations. Don’t get it twisted; I used Kudang in the place of Europeans because I was warned to stop making noise about the Toubabs while I interchanged Kaur with The Gambia.
If you care to know the truth, the people of Kudang and whosoever are not doing a favor to Africa or the people of Kaur; history is there for all to see. The looting and extortion done by the Kudang people is something that we can’t comprehend, and for one to think that we should thank them is insane.
You probably remember when the Western media was spinning reports and making racial remarks to justify taking Ukrainian migrants over other migrants from the Middle East. Do you remember when our African students were denied entry to Kudang during the same crisis? Do you remember when journalists described Ukrainian refugees as decent immigrants who are not looking for jobs? Do you know that asylum seekers from Africa and the Middle East are treated differently from the Ukrainians? Do you also know how many reports blame FRONTEX for human rights violations in their attempt to prevent migrants from entering European borders?
Let me refer you back to the 19th century when these people forced us into slave ships, chained us, flogged us, and made us work long hours with little food in horrible conditions. What is more insulting is that when they realized that the Industrial Revolution was the way, they parked some of us and took us to Freetown! What happened to those stories? Why on earth do you think that we must shut our mouths? History has no expiry date. History must be visited and revisited, it must be checked and rechecked, and it must be talked about because it’s the foundation of human existence.
What is funny is that people get angry at you for merely saying Kudang is not easy. Faburama even suggested, “If Kudang is not easy, please come back home.” This is ridiculous. Do we end the marriage because it’s challenging? Do we give up on life simply because it’s tough? Should we avoid acknowledging that marriage is difficult, or should we continue living in a fool’s paradise, pretending everything is perfect just because we fear being judged? This is the dilemma of our generation, and I could not agree more with Kofi Awoonor in his “Song of Sorrow”: “The affairs of this world are like the chameleon’s faeces.”
While the people of Kudang believe that it has enough immigrants, Canada has started welcoming immigrants under its Immigration Levels Plan 2024-2026. The Canadian government on the 1st of November released this gigantic plan. The country intends to welcome 485,000 new permanent residents in 2024, 500,000 in 2025, and another staggering 50,000 in 2026. But who are the targets of this? Does this mean that Bulung Jarjusey should sell his intestines to venture into this journey when he has no family ties in Canada and probably no skills that Canada is looking for? Canada’s immigration plan prioritizes family reunification, highly skilled workers, refugees, and others. So, you all need to chill and not rush to travel agencies to pay thousands of dollars and end up regretting the move.
The question is, why is Canada looking for immigrants? The answer is not far-fetched. Is it because they want to help immigrants? Hell no. The country has an aging population and wants to boost its economy, and they believe migrants can help. This is a clear indication that the West will always look at the Global South, and there is no way that Europeans can control migration. What they all fail to understand is that circular migration is the way forward. But because of their small brains, they have decided to securitize migration and politicize it. It will always backfire. Should we trust Canada? I am not sure, because history has it that anytime they have what they want, they will start putting some confusing laws against immigration. Therefore, it is about time we implement our plans and make sure that we give our young people a dignified life in our country.
It must be understood that migration is not just a mere movement of people; it is more than that. It is the transfer of ideas, cultures, and identities from one geographical location to another. As we go through these shifts, we must understand that every journey, whether from The Gambia or beyond, epitomizes greatness that we can harness for growth and sustainable development. Therefore, experiences must be shared regarding the challenges faced by students and others alike to make all would-be travelers aware of what lies ahead.
After all, embracing diverse views on the richness of our shared experience can help us better understand our society. It does not matter where you migrate to, whether to Kudang or Nyantempo, Upart or Nyamanar, tell your story if you can, but please do not sugarcoat the realities in Kudang.
In my next article, I will unravel the daily struggles that immigrants face in securing asylum and how Jammeh, in a twist of fate, was a blessing in disguise for some. With the dictator now gone, how are folks bracing up? We will also look at the debate surrounding dual citizenship in The Gambia.
