Border Control
Border Control And Management
Border control is the measures taken by a state or a bloc of states to monitor its borders and regulate the movement of people, animals, and goods across the border.
Border security measures are border control policies adopted by a country or group of countries to fight against unauthorized travel or trade across its borders, to limit irregular migration, combat transnational crimes and prevent wanted criminals from travelling. In The Gambia, Border control and security is coffered to different institutions but a specific task on the control of the movement of person within, in and outside the Gambia is task to Gambia Immigration Department. Hence the presence of Immigration officers at all the official crossing points as the first point of contact to every traveler wishing to travel in or out of the country.
Midas
The migration information and data analysis system (MIDAS) is an advance and secure Migration data collection system with the ability to record traveler’s information and detect fraudulent documents at ports of entry and exit, study has shown with excellence in the countries were MIDAS systems are in operation in migration and border management. The launched of MIDAS has availed GID and the Gambia Government numerousopportunities which includes but not limited to the following:
1. The system has avail GID and The Gambia Government to have full control over the data collected from all the borders where MIDAS is installed. This is possible because the main server is at the disposal of GID.
2. The system has also helped us graduate from manual entering of traveler’s information to automated admission of data. The system facilitate easy linkage in terms of data sharing among the border crossing points whiles the Headquarters serves as the central hub for data correspondence, the BCP’s has being able to access travelers information prior to the traveler reaching the other BCP’S. It is quite obvious that this is a new way of operation within our border crossing procedures.
Border Management Thematic Working Group
Borders can be both open and secure: open to allow for the cross-border flow of legitimate trade and commerce, and secure in the sense that the national security interests of states are protected. The Gambia is committed to achieving a balance between the need to maintain security against cross-border threats and the freedom of movement for persons, goods and services. Today the issues of border security and migration management are major social and political phenomena in the global space and are redefining the economic and socio political realities of many countries. There are different agencies involve in border control and management in The Gambia whose roles and responsibilities though distinct but closely related. There is therefore the need for effective and efficient coordination among the various stakeholders. In order to consolidate this collaborative initiative into our border management strategy, there is already an established inter-agency Border Management committee established in nine border crossing points namely Amdalie, Giboroh, Farafenni, Sabi, Nyamarr, Dimbaya, Dasilameh, Misira and Kartong. . The membership of the Inter-Agency committee includes: the Gambia Immigration Department (GID), Health, Gambia Police Force (GPF), Drug Law Enforcement Agency Gambia (DLEAG), State Intelligence Agency (SIS), Agriculture, Military intelligence and the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA).