By Jane Salihu
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament has launched a regional citizen engagement campaign in The Gambia and Senegal as part of renewed efforts to tackle irregular migration, human trafficking and modern slavery across West Africa.
The week-long initiative, themed “One Journey, Many Risks. Ask First, Move Safely,” will be implemented under the Sixth Legislature of the ECOWAS Parliament, with activities scheduled to hold in Banjul, The Gambia, from July 6 to 10 and Dakar, Senegal, from July 13 to 17, 2026.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the Office of the Chief Communication Officer, ECOWAS Parliament, which said the programme is designed to bring Members of Parliament into direct engagement with young people, returnees, community leaders, civil society organisations and other stakeholders affected by irregular migration.
The Parliament noted that irregular migration continues to pose one of the most serious socio-economic and human security challenges in the West African sub-region, with many young people risking dangerous journeys in search of better economic opportunities.
According to the statement, unemployment, poverty, insecurity and limited access to decent livelihoods have continued to drive thousands of young people onto unsafe land and sea migration routes, leaving them vulnerable to trafficking in persons, forced labour, sexual exploitation, debt bondage and other forms of modern slavery.
It explained that both The Gambia and Senegal remain among the ECOWAS member states significantly affected as countries of origin, transit and return for migrants.
The regional legislature said the citizen engagement campaign aims to raise awareness among youths and vulnerable communities on the dangers of irregular migration while providing lawmakers with firsthand information on the underlying causes and consequences of the phenomenon.
It added that the initiative would also strengthen dialogue between parliamentarians and citizens and generate practical recommendations to enhance national and regional policies on migration prevention, victim protection and the reintegration of returnees.
Activities in The Gambia will commence with a courtesy visit to the country’s Minister of Interior, followed by a stakeholder briefing involving the ECOWAS Resident Representative, the Gambian Delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the National Agency Against Trafficking in Persons (NAATIP).
The programme will also feature community town hall meetings in Bakau, Brikama and Barra, where local residents, returnees and survivors of irregular migration will share their experiences and engage directly with Members of Parliament.
As part of efforts to reach young people through sports, the Parliament will organise a community football event tagged “Football for Awareness”, using the campaign slogan “One Journey, Many Risks. Ask First, Move Safely,” to reinforce the message of safe and informed migration.
The Gambian phase of the campaign will conclude with a debriefing session on July 10 to review observations and develop recommendations for future interventions.
In Senegal, the engagement will focus on public sensitisation and multi-stakeholder dialogue involving youth groups, students, community organisations, returnees and public institutions across Dakar and neighbouring communities.
According to the statement, both phases of the campaign will utilise open-air town hall meetings, interactive discussions, question-and-answer sessions, as well as radio, television and community media platforms to broaden public participation and encourage collective action against irregular migration and modern slavery.
The ECOWAS Parliament said the initiative emphasized its commitment to promoting safe migration, protecting vulnerable populations and strengthening regional cooperation in addressing one of West Africa’s most persistent humanitarian and development challenges.
