Reports

Most migrants who return to the Gambia are indebted. Loans are contracted either in the context of migrating, or to cover personal and professional expenses. They create financial and social constraints which shape the returnees’ ability to participate actively in the social and economic life of their country of origin. Understanding the mechanisms of indebtment and its impacts on reintegration is at the heart of this study. In order to identify the specific challenges faced by indebted migrants, a mixed-method approachwas developed through 410 individual questionnaires, 11 key informant interviews, and 1 exploratory focus group, all in the West Coast and Banjul regions. 

This study examines internal mobility in The Gambia and provides socio-economic profiles of migrants who move from rural to urban settings. Migrants' places of origin and destination, drivers of migration and travel intentions were analysed to further develop the profile. A complementary objective of the study is to consider the profile of rural-to-urban migrants in relation to that of migrants assisted by IOM's Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) programme. Data on migrant journeys and travel intentions was analysed to determine whether there is a link between rural-to-urban mobility and onward migration either within West and Central Africa and/or beyond. Interviews with migrants and key stakeholders were conducted between November 2018 and January 2019 in 10 communities. Overall, 220 rural-to-urban migrants, 10 community leaders and 137 beneficiaries of IOM AVRR were consulted.