Irregular migration has remained a major socio-economic and human security challenge confronting West African region.

The situation, believed to be driven by unemployment, poverty, limited economic opportunities, insecurity and the quest for better livelihoods, often compels many young people to undertake perilous migration journeys through unsafe land and maritime routes that expose them to exploitation, trafficking in persons, forced labour, sexual exploitation, debt bondage and other forms of modern slavery.

The Gambia and Senegal are among the member states grossly affected as countries of origin, transit and return.

To address this scourge across the region, the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS Parliament), under the Sixth Legislature, is set for citizens’ engagement on the issue.

The exercise, which takes place between July 6 and 10 in Banjul, The Gambia, and later in Dakar, Senegal between July 13 and 17, will take citizens on the implications of irregular migration and modern slavery.

The week-long engagement will bring the Parliamentarians into direct contact with the youth, returnees, community leaders, civil society organizations and citizens in both countries.

The engagement, which aims to sensitize young people and vulnerable communities on inherent risks in such undertakings, will equally provide the Parliamentarians with first-hand information on additional motivations of the trade as well as promote dialogue between parliamentarians and citizens with a view to generating practical recommendations to strengthen national and regional prevention, protection and reintegration efforts.

The Gambia leg of the exercise will begin with a courtesy visit to the Minister of Interior and a stakeholder briefing involving the ECOWAS Resident Representative, the Gambian Delegation to ECOWAS Parliament and the National Agency Against Trafficking in Persons (NAATIP).   
This would be followed by community town hall engagements in three different communities, each combining local language sensitization, testimonies from returnees, survivors, and open dialogue between members of parliament and citizens.

A community football event tagged, ‘ Football for Awareness’ with the slogan, ‘One Journey, Many Risks. Ask First, Move Safely’,  would be held in Bakau on July 9 to convey the same message through sport.

Meanwhile, the Senegal phase will emphasize public sensitization and multi-stakeholder dialogue, engaging youth groups, students, community organizations, returnees and public institutions in accessible public and community venues in and around Dakar.