By: Isatou Jawara
Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Interior of the Gambia has tasks ECOWAS Commission and International Organization for Migration (IOM to raise awareness and explain the trends needs and challenges of mixed migration flows in West Africa.
Ousman Ceesay also task the regional body ECOWAS promote and develop a migration strategy through the development of a roadmap to better support vulnerable migrants as well as member States in their provision of services to migrants.
DPS made statement at the opening ceremony of a sub-regional training on mixed migration organized by ECOWAS in collaboration with IMO office The Gambia.
The forum brought together participants from ECOWAS Member States and officials of IMO head office The Gambia.
The training is meant for developing tools to increase awareness on migrant’s rights and status and to strengthen safer migration for the benefit of all.
“The government of the Gambia is aware of the complexities of migration. In the last two years together with partnership with IMO, we have supported the return and reintegration of over 4000 Gambians who were stranded in their travel towards Europe,” he said.
He added: “4000 Gambians, who had left for different reasons with diverse interest skills background and ages and who have unfortunately become victims of trafficking experienced gender based violence.”
He reiterated government of Gambia commitment to continue to uplift it’s regional and sub-regional and internal commitments to ensure that the objective of the national migration policy are consistent and complement ECOWAS mixed migration strategy.
Ms Fumiko Nagano, Chief of Mission IMO, The Gambia said that, IMO welcomes the adoption in December2018 of the Global Compact of Migration.
She added that the adoption of the Global Compact is truly historic and remarkable achievement. It’s historic because it is the first comprehensive framework on migration developed through inter-governmental negotiations.