A cross-section of NCM members preparing ahead of the first International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) in New York
By Sarjo M. Camara & Ajie Fatou Jammeh
Migration is an important element of development. It is in recognition of this fact that government prioritises migration management. For its effective management and mainstreaming, Government of The Gambia instituted the National Coordination Mechanism on Migration (NCM). Chaired by Office of Vice President (OVP), the Government of The Gambia with technical and financial support from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) through the UN Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) established the NCM to help strengthen coordination in migration programmes intervention in The Gambia.
Mr Saikou Trawally is the Deputy Director, at the Office of the Vice President. In this interview he explained that the NCM has helped to institute a whole-of-government approach to migration governance through a government-led inter-agency coordination platform. This platform is progressively bringing policy coherence and ultimately, joint long-term action by the various government and non-government agencies, civil society, academia and the media involved in migration-related interventions.
According to Mr Trawally, the objectives of the NCM include facilitating dialogue and cooperation among stakeholders on migration; enhancing understanding of migration trends and dynamics among key stakeholders; progressing towards a comprehensive approach to migration and related issues and facilitating informed policy making; tracking progress in the implementation of migration-related programmes and implementing continental and regional policies as well as at the national level.
On the functions of the NCM, Mr Trawally explained that the NCM is serving as a discussion platform for state actors and ensuring coherence across multiple policy domains and synergy in programmatic areas and plans.
Mr Trawally indicated that the NCM will have two tiers of coordination: a higher political level chaired by the Vice President and composed of Ministers, and a technical level at Permanent and Deputy Permanent Secretary level.The political level is established to ensure that there are political and resource commitments from government agencies. This higher level will meet bi-annually to provide political directions and review the work done by the technical level, while the technical level group will focus on coordination at the programmatic level, follow-up on the recommendations passed by the political level and ensure that the government’s priority areas receive technical attention. The technical level also gives feedback to the higher level to inform decision making.
The NCM is further composed of multiple Thematic Working Groups (TWGs). The consultation agreed on eight TWGs to start the operationalization of the NCM with the understanding that the thematic groupings will be continuously reviewed to accommodate the practical needs of the government and emerging realities in programming. The eight TWGs are Border Management; Communication and Advocacy; Cross-Cutting Issues (with a focus on Protection); Data, Policy and Legislation; Internal Migration; Labour Migration; Migration and Development; and Return and Reintegration.
He stated that each of these groups, headed by institutions with comparative advantage in the thematic, will lead the coordination with all relevant and concerned agencies.“A dedicated Secretariat for the whole NCM has been established within the OVP and will take on the day-to-day operations of the NCM”. The Secretariat will also provide administrative and logistical support to the NCM and will convene meetings, liaise with various government agencies and coordinate activities of the different parts of the NCM, including the two tiers of the NCM and the various TWGs.
Prince Bubacarr Aminata Sankanu is Principal Information Officer at the Ministry of Information, Communication Infrastructure (MOICI)and Focal Person of the Thematic Working Group (TWG) on Communication and Advocacy. He said, his group is one of the active TWGs of the National Coordination Mechanism on Migration (NCM).
“Our group is composed of members from various ministries, departments, and agencies in The Gambia,’’ he noted.
He said that considering the sensitivities around migration, the group is crucial in advising the government’s effective communication while guiding migrants and their communities with accurate information.
Mr. Sankanu indicated that they have developed a communication strategy, which the TWG is in the process of updating to reflect current priorities, to guide the government’s migration messaging when communicating to the public.
He said the communication strategy on migration is one of their tangible achievements; they have also conducted a series of radio and television talk shows on migration and they have also been able to change the narrative on deportations as it is no longer scary to discuss it.
Manding Saidykhan, Principal Assistant Secretary, Ministry of Interior, doubles as Migration Focal Person and a member of the National Coordination Mechanism. He said NCM is a platform established to ensure that the issue of migration is being coordinated to avoid duplication of efforts.
Mr Saidykhan said that considering the challenge of policy coordination between multiple stakeholders on migration, having the National Coordination Mechanism which is seated at the Office of the Vice President. Return and Reintegration is one of the areas under the Ministry of Interior.
“The challenges are huge, but the government should be the main body responsible for migration governance. The government must work towards having a dedicated resource for migration governance,’’ he stated.
Mr. Saidykhan informed that the Return & Reintegration Thematic Working Group has “quarterly meetings where issues related to return and reintegration including how to better coordinate the assistance to returnees are discussed. These include discussions on improved coordination of returns from the sub-region, possible development of a return and reintegration strategy and looking at international best practices.