How has irregular migration from the Gambia changed in the past two years since the regime change in the Gambia in the beginning of 2017, and how has this affected the political and administrative landscape in the country? These and further questions were discussed at a presentation by Judith Altrogge of the Arnold Bergstraesser Institute (ABI) Freiburg on Thursday, July 4, at the University of the Gambia. The event was organised by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) to share preliminary findings of a report on ‘The Political economy of Migration Governance in the Gambia’. A recent moratorium that the Gambian government posed on returns from the European Union in March of this year, and how to proceed from here, dominate political discussions linked to irregular migration in the country and were also the subject of much of the discussion during the event.
In addition to Judith’s presentation, two additional presentations added complementary inputs. Nyimasata Camara from The Centre for Policy Research and Strategy Studies (CEPRASS), a University-based policy centre and partner for Afrobarometer, presented data on the societal perception of migration in the Gambia. Bakary Fadera of ActionAid The Gambia shared the NGO’s critical view on the recent neoliberal trend in reducing irregular migration.
The event was attended by more than 40 participants including academics, politicians, civil society acotrs and representatives from international organisations.
The study is conducted as part of WAMIG, a project on West African Migration Governance with further case studies in Nigeria, Niger and Senegal. The project is funded by MEDAM, a three-year research and consultation project that identifies and closes gaps in existing research and develops specific recommendations for policy makers.