Banjul –   23 August 2024, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in partnership with the Gambia Bureau of Statistics (GBOS) organized a workshop on strengthening migration data management practices in The Gambia. 

The workshop brought together a wide range of stakeholders, including members of the Thematic Area Working Group on Migration Data under the Government’s National Coordination Mechanism on Migration, aims to enhance understanding of the role of migration data in policy formulation as well as to build awareness of key sources of migration data and best practices at national, regional and global level within the broader context of Objective 1 of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM). 

While strengthening the capacity of key stakeholders on the comprehension of migration data collection and its use, the workshop also served as opportunity to discuss key challenges faced by migration data management actors in The Gambia to identify gaps and devise recommendations for strengthening evidence-informed policymaking to harness the positive potential of migration for the country. 

“The use of credible migration statistics and indicators allows The Gambia and development partners including the private sector to track the progress made towards achieving set priorities in the Green Recovery National Development Plan (RF-NDP) and global commitments such as the SDGs and those contained in the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration,” said Mr. Lamin Kanteh the Principal Statistician at the Social Statistics Directorate of GBOS. “However, despite efforts being made, there still exists challenges with regards to lack of effective harmonization and systematic analysis of existing data,” he indicated. 

The workshop also provided the participants with transparent insights into the existing migration landscape and potential future trends, to demonstrate the importance of reliable information and statistics throughout the migration cycle. With support from IOM’s Regional Data Hub in Dakar and Global Migration Data Analysis Centre (GMDAC) in Berlin, various sessions were delivered on globally recognized data collection instruments such as IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix and Missing Migrants. 

“The Government of The Gambia has achieved various milestones on migration data management such as prioritization of GCM Objective 1, setting up of a dedicated Working Group on Migration Data under National Coordination Mechanism on Migration and inclusion of migration-related indicators in the latest Census. IOM remains available and committed to support the Government’s efforts on strengthening migration governance through evidence-informed policymaking,” expressed Ms. Sibgha Ajaz, Programme Coordinator – Migration Management, IOM The Gambia. 

The workshop was conducted within the framework of the Africa Regional Migration Program (ARMP), funded by the United States Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration that aims to support countries to promote safe, orderly and dignified migration and reduce migrant vulnerability along key migration routes. 

For more information, please contact: 

IOM The Gambia’s Migration Management Unit. Email:  iombanjulmigrationmanagement@iom.int