The Politics of Migration Governance in the Gambia

This project explores the politics of migration governance in the Gambia, where an unexpected regime change in January 2017 gave an impetus for political change. It is the pilot of a larger study currently under development on the politics of migration governance in eight sub-Saharan countries. The project acknowledges the political nature of migration as well as the agency involved in the governance of migration. The study analyses three levels, namely the ‘making’ of migration governance (actual and planned migration governance institutions and political will to implement), the political stakes of migration governance (how is migration understood, what is prioritised and which issues are at stake) and the societal discourse regarding migration governance (societal perceptions on migration and the effects this has). Following a holistic understanding of migration, it analyses emigration (of skilled, low-skilled migrants and refugees), immigration (primarily from neighbouring ECOWAS countries) as well as displaced people residing in the Gambia (primarily Casamance refugees from neighbouring Senegal). The study is based on 31 semi-structured interviews with members of the new Gambian government, policy makers and civil society activists and Diaspora leaders, as well as Gambian refugees, policy and academic experts back in Germany. In addition, we conducted one focus group with Gambian returnees from Libya. Fieldwork took place between May and June 2017 in the Greater Banjul area.