By: Nyima Sillah
Youth Against Irregular Migration (YAIM) had held a two-day multi-stakeholder dialogue on the rights and perspective of migrants and returnees in the Gambia within the context of transitional justice, at KMC hall.
The seminar was used to discuss with stakeholders on the priorities and welfare of migrants especially returnees, challenges faced by returnees and the factors of irregular migration.
Mustapha Sallah, Secretary General National Youth Council expressed that “the conference signified one of their biggest endeavors to keep expanding and to give a concrete contribution to the political debate among relevant actors.”
“The national institutions often struggle to tackle issues and to provide returnees with viable avenues to start a productive livelihood. The various organizations involved in migration, while being surely of support to returnees’ reintegration, are often unable to respond to the immediate needs of returnees as they are constrained by the protocols and regulations of donors’ disbursement of funds,” he noted.
“We would like to use this event to reflect on ways to overcome these difficulties and be able to exploit migrants’ and returnees’ potential to the fullest in a framework of complete respect of their fundamental rights and those of the rest of the population.
Alagie Jarju, Executive Director National Youth Council, “reintegration is certainly an essential part in return migration it empowers and protects returnees by providing them certainly with all the necessary tools and assistance that is needed to ensure that when we bring them back home they are able to settle within their families,”
He also said this cannot be sustainable if the root cause of migration is not address, adding that they should address the reasons why they left, as it is the only way to sustain return and reintegration or else when they bring them there is high tendency that they would take the root and go back again
“I want to assure you our support as a council we would definitely want to be with you as YEP and other partners throughout. Also, whatever recommendations that comes out of this meeting we would be happy as NYC to really work with you and ensure we are able to put these recommendations into action,”
Basiru Bah, Legal Officer-Research, “The Gambia must devise means not only to receive the returnees but also to protect them from discrimination and stigma, fulfil their human rights and fundamental freedoms and put in place mechanisms for reintegration into society. The NHRC shall continue striving to fulfil its mandate to promote and protect human rights in The Gambia and work with stakeholders to realize this mandate.”
