The Gambia Red Cross (GRCS), through European Union Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF) Migration Project, had recently handed over fully-equipped First Aid Kits to identified Gambia Immigration staffers who were trained on first aid, and Covid-19 prevention materials for the border points.
In the same vein, GRCS certificated Gambia Immigration Department (GID) officials and Red Cross volunteers who were trained on first aid management, at the recent handing over and certification ceremony held at the GRCS head office in Kanifing.
The EU is funding a project named, “Assistance and Protection of the most Vulnerable Migrants in West Africa”. It was identified following consultations between the five National Red Cross Societies (NRCS) of the targeted countries, namely Senegal, The Gambia, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali (in Africa), and the Spanish, Luxembourg and Danish Red Cross, in order to implement the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) Global Strategy on Migration 2018-2022.
This project contributes to protecting and supporting the most vulnerable migrants along the main migration routes from West Africa and the Sahel to North Africa, through assistance and protection of migrants, as well as strengthening the capacity of state and non-state actors to provide assistance for the protection of vulnerable migrants.
The project, as officials indicated, would ensure a safe and protected environment in which migrants move without risk of facing abuses of their fundamental rights as well as their dignity and integrity, and reduce vulnerabilities and improve coping mechanisms and health of the migrants.
Speaking at the ceremony, GRCS’ Director of Finance and Administration, Mr. Madun Sanyang, stressed that equipping the security personnel with that knowledge contributes a lot in saving so many lives on the roads; further adding “also not only training them but giving them these materials will enchant their performance there (at the borders); so we hope that this will be used as they are provided for”.
Director Sanyang reassured that GRCS would continue doing that auxiliary role by collaborating with their partners to ensure that the people that need the services are cared for.
Mr. Foday Gassama, Commissioner for Migration Management Unit, acknowledged to the audience, that this migration project is very relevant to them as far as the implementation of their mandate is concerned.
The migration project that GRCS and partners are rolling out, as Gassama stated, is very key as far as their border management (operations) are concerned; that it also came at a time when they were all doing reform agenda to “ensure that their operations are not only law enforcement, but they are also humanitarian and human rights compliant”. He’s positive that the knowledge that their officers gathered during the training would be implemented when the need arises.
In conclusion, Commissioner Gassama stressed that the importance of the project couldn’t be over-emphasized.
Mr. Bubacarr Singhateh, Project Coordinator of the Migration Project, in his statement said the project is a 3-year regional project which is providing assistance in terms of enmity remittances, and also protecting services to migrants, especially focusing on transit migrants in The Gambia. He added that it’s not limited to transit migrants, but also members of the state population and as well state and non-state actors.
Project Coordinator Singhateh went on to state “this project is particularly focusing on providing access to health care, RFL [Restoring Family Links] services”; and also provide temporal shelter, food and non-food items, including other humanitarian needs of the migrants while they are on the move.
The project is being implemented by the GRCS in partnership with the Spanish Red Cross, and in The Gambia, it’s operating in three regions: Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC), West Coast Region (WCR), and Upper River Region (URR), and each of the said regions has a humanitarian service point.
“A humanitarian service point is a neutral and safe space where migrants can access services to ensure that their needs are taken care of, but also to ensure that their dignitaries are upheld while they are on the move,” highlighted Singhateh. He informed that the first aid kits are donated to GID for onward distribution to the border posts as a result of the training they provided to the officials concerned, to ensure that they would be able to provide first aid services to migrants.
