By Makutu Manneh
The Gambia Immigration Department (GID) has intercepted 229 suspected irregular migrants and arrested eight alleged smugglers and facilitators during separate operations along the West Coast Region coastline on October 23 and 24, 2026.
According to the department, the latest operation took place on Saturday, October 24, when officers from the Border Patrol and Migration Management Units stationed in Tanji intercepted 45 prospective migrants.
The group comprised 29 Senegalese, eight Gambians, five Guineans, two Ivorians, and one Burkinabe. Of those intercepted, 40 were men and five were women. Four suspected migration facilitators were also arrested.
A day earlier, on Friday, October 23, immigration officers, working in collaboration with Spain’s Guardia Civil, conducted overnight patrols around the Kartong border post, Sanyang and Batokunku, intercepting 184 suspected migrants.
The department said the group included 94 Senegalese, 87 Gambians, and three Guineans. It also reported 157 males, 12 females, and 15 minors, comprising eight boys and seven girls. Four suspected migrant smugglers were taken into custody.
The department did not clarify whether the 15 minors were included in the reported male and female figures.
According to GID, those intercepted, along with the suspected facilitators and smugglers, are being held at the department’s holding facility as investigations continue. The Gambia Red Cross Society is providing humanitarian assistance to those intercepted in Tanji.
In a statement, the department said the operations underscored its commitment to combating irregular migration through increased border surveillance, intensified patrols, and closer cooperation with domestic and international partners, including the Spanish Guardia Civil.
GID also called on local communities, civil society organizations, the media, and national and international partners to continue supporting its efforts to curb irregular migration.
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