The operation, which seeks to intensify advocacy against irregular migration along the country’s coast, will henceforth witness increased presence of Immigration Officers along key suspected departure points from Kartong to Banjul as well as parts of the North Bank Region.
The move came as the country mourns scores of her youth, who died on the perilous sea journey while attempting to reach Spain’s Canary Islands.
Moreover, the operation, which will last till December, also seeks to engage more communities and parents in a broader move to discuss the root causes and how to curb clandestine migration in the country.
At the launch held at Bakau Fishing Centre, Baboucarr Jammeh, Commissioner of Operations, The Gambia Immigration Department, underscored the importance of the initiative, while expressing eulogy with the recent boat disaster on the high seas that has claimed many young lives in the country.
He informed that GID has always been the advocacy against clandestine migration through high seas, acknowledging that migration is an old phenomenon.
“We are not saying we are going to stop migration as migration has been here for the past one thousand years. So it didn’t start today; it is an old phenomenon. What we are against is irregular migration as it is claiming the lives of our youth and loved ones,” he said.
Commissioner Jammeh spoke highly of the resources at their disposal for the operation, reminding that they have enough plain clothes personnel that are within the midst of the people, especially along the coastal communities.
He also spoke about their plans to involve colleagues from other sister forces as the overall aim is to clamp down on irregular migration.
For his part, Sulayman Kujabi, Commissioner for Kanifing Municipality, acknowledged that the operation is planned by The Gambia Immigration Department high command considering the high number of youths embarking on the perilous journey to the Canary Islands.
“We have the manpower that is required to deter and detect people from using this perilous journey to Europe,”he said. “Our focus is not to stop migration, as migration has been here since the beginning of the world. Our focus is to make it a safe and orderly one so that our youth can travel safely. We are not denying people to travel to Europe but let it be done through necessary means and that is why we have embassies here.”
Commissioner Kujabi also talked about the severe consequences associated with back-way, reminding that the initiative is a confidence building one. It also seeks to engage communities to understand some of the consequences associated with the journey.
Mariama Nyang, Commissioner of West Coast Region, expressed similar sentiments.
The operation, she said, would help them detect and save people from travelling to Europe through irregular means.
She acknowledged that as law enforcement agencies, their prime duty is to protect lives and property, reasoning that the people using the back-way are their brothers and sisters.
Commissioner Nyang also spoke about their planned initiative, which includes more sensitisation, as well as increased patrol in local communities, to help curb the trend.
“We are losing a lot of men through this high seas and it’s time we deter and protect our young people to save the country’s future generation,” she posited.
