ECOWAS parliament launches anti-irregular migration campaign in Gambia, Senegal

The ECOWAS Parliament will begin a two-phase citizen engagement campaign in The Gambia and Senegal aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of irregular migration and modern slavery, as part of efforts to address one of West Africa’s most pressing socio-economic and human security challenges.

The campaign, themed “One Journey, Many Risks. Ask First, Move Safely,” will take place in Banjul, The Gambia, from July 6 to 10, before moving to Dakar, Senegal, from July 13 to 17.

According to a statement issued on Sunday, members of the ECOWAS Parliament under the Sixth Legislature will engage directly with youths, returnees, community leaders, civil society organisations, and other citizens to promote safe migration and discourage irregular migration.

The Parliament noted that unemployment, poverty, insecurity, limited economic opportunities, and the search for better livelihoods continue to push many young West Africans into dangerous migration routes, exposing them to human trafficking, forced labour, sexual exploitation, debt bondage, and other forms of modern slavery. It added that The Gambia and Senegal remain among the countries affected as nations of origin, transit, and return.

It explained that the engagement is designed to educate vulnerable communities on the risks associated with irregular migration, while providing lawmakers with firsthand insights into the factors driving migration and its consequences.

The initiative will also foster dialogue between parliamentarians and citizens and generate recommendations to strengthen prevention, protection, and reintegration policies at both national and regional levels.

Activities in The Gambia will commence with a courtesy visit to the Minister of Interior and a stakeholder briefing involving the ECOWAS Resident Representative, the Gambian Delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the National Agency Against Trafficking in Persons (NAATIP).

The programme will feature community town hall meetings in Bakau, Brikama, and Barra, where lawmakers will hold interactive discussions with residents, alongside testimonies from returnees and survivors of irregular migration.

A community football event tagged “Football for Awareness” will also be organised in Bakau on July 9 to reinforce the campaign’s message through sports, while the Gambian phase will conclude with a debriefing session on July 10 to review findings and consolidate recommendations.

In Senegal, the engagement will focus on public sensitisation and multi-stakeholder dialogue involving youth groups, students, community organisations, returnees, and public institutions in and around Dakar.

The Parliament said both phases of the campaign will utilise open-air town hall meetings, question-and-answer sessions, as well as radio, television, and community media outreach to maximise public participation and ownership of discussions on safe migration.