By Makutu Manneh
The Gambia Immigration Department (GID) has intercepted 222 suspected irregular migrants in separate operations in Faraba and Sanyang, in the West Coast Region, as authorities intensify efforts to combat irregular migration.
In a statement issued following the operations on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, the department said those intercepted included 180 Senegalese, 38 Gambians, two Malians, one Nigerian and one Sierra Leonean.
According to the GID, the group included 183 males, 20 females and 13 minors. The department did not clarify how the minors were included in the gender breakdown.
Immigration officials also arrested a suspected migrant smuggling agent in connection with the operations. The suspect is assisting authorities with their investigation.
“The intercepted migrants are being profiled and processed at the GID Migration Centre while receiving humanitarian assistance from the Gambia Red Cross Society,” the department said.
The GID described the interceptions as part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen border security and disrupt irregular migration networks operating in the country.
The department said the joint operations demonstrated its commitment to improving border control and preventing irregular migration.
The interceptions come amid continued efforts by Gambian authorities to address irregular migration, commonly known as the backway, through which migrants attempt dangerous journeys to Europe, often by sea.
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