By: Dawda Baldeh
The Gambia Immigration Department (GID), Public Relations Officer Chief Superintendent Mamanding S Dibba, has clarified the interception of 67 irregular migrants off the coast of Bakau on Saturday.
The GID spokesperson provided these clarifications after reports emerged of a migrant boat being intercepted by the Gambia Navy during a routine patrol alongside the Spanish Guardia Civil.
The Fatu Network contacted GID for further details on the incident.
According to Chief Superintendent Dibba, their office received a tip-off regarding a migrant boat in Bakau which they monitored and found an individual believed to be the lead operator.
“We received a tip-off about a migrant boat, and we monitor the situation until we found one individual suspected to be the lead in the whole arrangement,” Dibba told The Fatu Network.
He added: “The boat was about seven nautical miles off the coast of Bakau. At GID, we don’t have the equipment to go that far, our boats are small, and they cannot go to that extent, so we contacted our colleagues at Navy to support us as they have been our key partners.”
Dibba noted that the interception of the migrants was a joint effort and commended all those involved for their respective roles.
“Migration management is our mandate but understanding the resource constraints, we must work with other agencies to make our work simple and efficient,” he added.
Over the years, GID has intercepted several migrant boats in The Gambian waters and safely evacuated them.
GID advised people to remain vigilant and avoid falling victim to smuggling and the use of dangerous irregular migration routes.
