The Gambia government has said it is working with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to evacuate more than 200 stranded Gambian migrants.

The government warned people to avoid travelling to Europe through the backway describing the journey as “risky”.

“We are actively collaborating with IOM to issue Emergency Travel Certificates (ETC) to over two hundred (200) stranded migrants in Algeria, preparing for their evacuation. We kindly request understanding from all parties involved, given the resource requirements and procedural intricacies inherent in these efforts,” the foreign affairs ministry said.

“We would like to emphasize that embarking on such journeys carries significant risks. Regrettably, some stranded migrants who are currently in Algeria and Niger particularly during the Tunisian crisis were offered evacuation opportunities twice but declined at the eleventh hour, despite having been granted ETCs and exit visas,” the statement added.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba