Gambian Interior Minister, Abdoulie Sanyang Tuesday urged newly recruited immigration officers to remain politically neutral ahead of the December elections, stressing that the uniform of the Gambia Immigration Department should never be used for partisan purposes.
Speaking at the passing-out parade of 599 recruits of Intake 16 at the Serrekunda East Mini Stadium, Sanyang reminded the officers that their primary responsibility was to uphold the constitution, enforce the law and serve all Gambians without discrimination.
“This passing-out comes only a few months before the country goes to the polls in December. Your loyalty is to the Constitution, to the law and to the Gambian people as a whole, not to any political party or individual,” he said.
The minister cautioned the officers that they could face attempts to influence their conduct during the election period but urged them to remain professional and impartial.
“You may be approached, tested or provoked. Do not let anyone drag the uniform into partisan politics. Serve every Gambian and every visitor the same way, whether it is convenient or not,” he remarked.
Sanyang described the graduation of the 599 recruits as one of the largest intakes in the history of the Gambia Immigration Department, saying it reflected the government’s commitment to strengthening border management, national security and migration governance.
He said reforms being implemented under the Security Sector Reform Program included the modernization of the country’s immigration legislation and measures to strengthen the department’s institutional capacity to respond to emerging migration and security challenges.
According to the minister, the proposed Immigration Act will provide a stronger legal framework for border governance, migration management and service delivery while enhancing the department’s ability to combat offences such as human trafficking, document fraud and other transnational crimes.
He added that the government and its development partners continue to invest in technology, infrastructure and personnel development to improve border management.
Sanyang acknowledged the support of development partners, including ECOWAS, the European Union, the United Nations and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), for their contributions to security sector reforms.
He also urged the new officers to uphold the values of integrity, discipline, patriotism and respect for human dignity throughout their careers.
The 599 officers completed their training and are expected to be deployed across the country to support immigration and border management services.