CLAIM: “GAMBIA IMMIGRATION OFFICERS CARRY OUT IDENTITY CARD REGISTRATIONS AT PRIVATE LOCATIONS.”
SOURCE: Open Gambia Facebook page
VERDICT: False
FINDING:
A post shared by Open Gambia on Thursday 9th February, 2023 via their facebook account, claiming that the Gambia Immigration officers are carrying out identity card registrations at secret locations, one like Bakau Newtown around the Mourida’s Mosque with the support of paramilitary officers (https://www.facebook.com/100083367690939/posts/169669405821982/?d=w&mibextid=qC1gEa). Our researchers launched a fact check on the said claim, following this research on the post by Open Gambia our findings are as follows;
Finding 1: The location (Bakau Newtown) mentioned is accurate; our researchers had no trouble finding it.
Finding 2: The paramilitary officers were on the scene, but they were there to assist the public health official in registering people for birth certificates
Finding 3: Our researchers discovered that the Ministry of Health is using the location in question as part of their current mass birth registration and health insurance membership registration campaign, which is scheduled to take place there from February 8 to February 14 of 2023, in contrast to the claim that immigration officers were issuing identity cards.
CONCLUSION:
The claim made by Open Gambia on Facebook that identity cards were being issued by the Gambia’s immigration authority in a covert location is found to be incorrect. Our researchers found out that the Ministry of Health is actually using the said location to issue residents who live close to Bakau Newtown electronic birth and health insurance membership certificates.
by Muhammed Lamin Touray
Communication Officer / Researcher
