By Jane Salihu
The ECOWAS Parliament has launched a regional parliamentary-citizen engagement campaign in The Gambia, shifting the fight against irregular migration, human trafficking and modern slavery from policy debate to community action.
The initiative opens a two-country outreach programme in The Gambia and Senegal, designed to bring lawmakers closer to citizens, raise public awareness of unsafe migration, and gather grassroots input to shape stronger regional policies.
The opening ceremony held in Banjul on Monday marked the start of engagements running in The Gambia from July 6 to 10, before moving to Dakar, Senegal, from July 13 to 17.
Organised by The Gambia’s Delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament with support from the Parliament’s General Secretariat, the programme draws together lawmakers, ECOWAS officials, government institutions, development partners, youth organisations, returnees, community leaders and the media.
Head of The Gambia’s Delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament and Fourth Deputy Speaker, Billay G. Tunkara, said the initiative reflects the Parliament’s resolve to move beyond legislative debate and engage directly with communities on issues shaping their daily lives. He said the engagement complements the Gambian government’s efforts to tackle irregular migration, trafficking and the socio-economic challenges confronting young people, stressing that community participation is critical to sustainable solutions.
ECOWAS Resident Representative in The Gambia, Miatta Lily French, described irregular migration and human trafficking as transnational challenges requiring stronger collaboration among member states, calling for sustained public awareness campaigns and coordinated regional action to protect vulnerable groups from exploitation.
Director of Parliamentary Affairs, Dr Kabeer Garba, representing the ECOWAS Parliament, commended the Gambian delegation for initiating the engagement, saying direct interaction with citizens would give lawmakers first-hand insight into the realities driving irregular migration across the region. He said recommendations from the consultations would strengthen parliamentary advocacy and inform more effective regional policies against trafficking and modern slavery.
Presentations at the opening session painted a worrying picture of migration trends across West Africa.
The Gambia Immigration Department disclosed that migrant interceptions, voluntary returns from North Africa and deportations from Europe rose in the first half of 2026, noting that The Gambia remains a country of origin, transit and destination along the Atlantic migration route, with women and children increasingly caught up in mixed migration flows.
The National Agency Against Trafficking in Persons warned of emerging exploitation patterns, including child labour, forced labour, sexual exploitation and online scam operations linked to irregular migration, and called for greater investment in prevention, victim protection, investigations and cross-border cooperation.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that The Gambia is increasingly used as a transit point along the West African Atlantic Route, citing overcrowded boats, shifting coastal departure points and the growing involvement of women and children in dangerous journeys.
The engagement is expected to yield practical recommendations to strengthen ECOWAS’ regional response to irregular migration and human trafficking, while promoting safer migration pathways and stronger protection for vulnerable populations across West Africa.
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