OPINION
On Thursday, 15 May 2025, The Gambia Armed Forces announced that The Gambia Navy Patrol vessel HSB SEADOG “intercepted and arrested suspected illegal migrants…”
Again, yesterday, 16th May 2025, during the Mansa Kunda programme, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Gambia stated, “Mauritania are deporting people who are illegal in their country.”
As a concerned citizen and advocate for human dignity, I am deeply disturbed by the continued use of the term “illegal migrants” by Gambian authorities, ministries, and public institutions when referring to our fellow Gambians in Mauritania, Libya, Europe, or those on irregular migration routes.
Let us be clear: No human being is illegal. This phrase, widely condemned by human rights organisations around the world, dehumanises individuals and strips them of their basic dignity and identity. It is a term that reduces complex human lives and stories into a label of criminality.
The United Nations, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), and global human rights bodies have all urged that we use the term “irregular migrants” or “undocumented persons”, language that acknowledges the legal complexity of migration without criminalising the person. Even within Europe, only far-right and extremist groups continue to label human beings as “illegal.” Should Gambian institutions really be echoing the rhetoric of those who seek to exclude and devalue migrants?
Gambians abroad, regardless of their migration status, are our brothers and sisters. Many have left due to economic hardship, insecurity, or to seek better opportunities in situations that are well known to our institutions. Their journeys are often marked by resilience, sacrifice, and the pursuit of dignity.
We therefore respectfully demand that all government officials, ministries, and state institutions:
1. Cease using the term “illegal migrants” immediately.
2. Adopt rights-based language in all official statements, referring to Gambians abroad as “irregular migrants” or “undocumented Gambians.”
3. Affirm the humanity, dignity, and rights of all Gambians, regardless of where they reside or how they migrated.
Words matter. The language we use can either uplift our people or perpetuate stigma, discrimination, and harm. Let us choose words that reflect the values of respect, solidarity, and unity.
No human being is illegal.
