By Nelson Manneh
The Gambia Immigration Department with support from UNODC, last Friday, October 6 concluded a five-day training for security officers and members of civil society organisations on the standard operating procedures (SOP), for handling smuggled migrants in the country.
The SOP, which was developed by GID officers through the EU-funded Common Operation Partnership Project, is meant to unify and enhance the operational capacity of GID officers and relevant stakeholders in handling smuggled migrant cases, by using human rights-based approaches.
During the training, participants were taken through different areas of the SOP including the rights of migrants, relevant terminologies, and the legal frameworks relating to the smuggling of migrants, among many others. The training is envisaged to help shape great changes in the mode of operation of GID officers within their duty stations.
The training is the second phase of UNODC support, as they pledged to support the popularization of the SOP among GID officials and relevant stakeholders regarding the management of smuggled migrants in the country.
