The Gambia Immigration Department (GID) has confirmed the discovery of three bodies believed to be those of migrants from a capsized boat. The bodies were found along the shoreline at Tujereng (Fantatinting).
According to a statement issued by the department, its Border Patrol Unit and Migration Management Unit received information about a boat sighted along the coastline, prompting the immediate deployment of a response team.
Upon arriving at the scene, the team discovered three deceased individuals on the shore.
The department said the police and fire and rescue services were immediately contacted to join the response team and ensure that the necessary procedures were followed before the bodies were handled.
Preliminary indications suggested that the deceased may have been aboard a capsized boat suspected to have been used for irregular migration, however, the department said investigations and consultations with relevant authorities were on-going to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
GID renewed its warning, particularly to young people, about the dangers associated with irregular migration journeys by sea, noting that such perilous journeys continue to claim lives and leave families and communities devastated.
The department urged young people to make informed decisions and avoid dangerous migration routes that put their lives at risk.
GID said it has recorded 45 interception cases involving 1,786 migrants between 1st October and 2nd November, as concerns continue to mount over the increasing trend of irregular migration by sea.
Ansumana Cham, Inspector GID Spokesman, disclosed the figures to The Standard in an interview, describing the current migration trend as alarming.
“Basically, if you look at the migration flow at the moment, you will realise that the trend at which it is going is alarming. From October to now, there have been a lot of interceptions by the GID,” he said.
According to Inspector Cham, of the 1,786 migrants intercepted during the period, 1,590 were males, representing 89 per cent, while 196 were females, accounting for 11 per cent.
About 914 were Senegalese, 740 Gambians, 68 Guineans and 36 Malians, while 48 were nationals of other countries.
Inspector Cham also provided details of the rescue operation involving 101 migrants following a boat fire in the Sika and Albreda areas over the weekend.
He said the department’s Migration Management Unit, together with its Border Patrol Unit stationed in Barra, were immediately dispatched to the area after receiving information about the incident.
The operation involved several security and humanitarian agencies, including the Gambia Fire and Rescue Services, the Gambia Navy and the Gambia Red Cross Society.
Inspector Cham confirmed that 16 people sustained injuries during the incident and were taken to health facilities for medical attention.
He explained that two of the injured migrants were treated and discharged at the Albreda Health Centre, while the remaining 14 were taken to the Essau Health Centre.
However, he clarified that all 14 migrants taken to the Essau Health Centre were treated and discharged on the same day.
