By Mama A. Touray
The Gambia Immigration Department, in partnership with the Gambia Navy and the Gambia Police Force, announced the interception of ninety-one migrants in Faraba Banta Bolong. This interception took place on November 20, 2024, during a routine patrol by the Gambia Navy.
Described as a massive interception, the Public Relations Officer of the Gambia Immigration Department, Siman Lowe, stated, “On November 20, 2024, we made another significant interception by the Navy patrol team during their routine activities. They were able to intercept a boat that had been at sea for about twenty days, with migrants on board who had been waiting while trying to gather more people to join them.”
Lowe further reported, “In this boat, we intercepted 91 suspected migrants. Among them, 74 are male, 12 are female, and 11 minors are involved.”
He continued, “Out of the 91 migrants, 34 are Gambians, 37 are Senegalese, 19 are Guineans, and one is Malian. When we intercepted them, we found most of the migrants in very poor condition—some were dehydrated, while others were unhealthy due to the length of time they had spent at sea. We can see how inhuman these activities are.”
PRO Lowe also informed the media on October 21, 2024, that they had intercepted 76 migrants. “These interceptions indicate that the Gambia Immigration Department has been making significant efforts to mitigate irregular migration.”
