The debate over Gambians abroad gaining voting rights took center stage in Parliament as the Minister for Justice, Hon. Dawda A. Jallow, clarified an amendment to Section 88 of the 1997 Constitution. Speaking to lawmakers on 4th March 2025, he stated that the Constitution allows for 'at least 53' elected members, meaning no amendment is needed to register Gambians living overseas. However, his claim that constituency demarcation is required before registration has sparked debate among pro-Diaspora Vote advocates. So, does the law actually mandate demarcation before registration? Here’s what the facts say.

The Minister of Justice, Hon. Dawda A. Jallow, claimed that the Draft Constitution would have addressed inadequacies related to constituencies for Gambians living abroad. However, a thorough review of both the 2020 and 2024 Draft Constitutions reveals that no such provisions exist, contradicting his statement. This raises concerns about the accuracy of his remarks during the consideration of Clause 14 of the Elections Bill 2021. More in the FactCheck report.

The aftermath of Parliamentarians vote to remove clause 14 to register Gambians abroad has been met with significant public outcry. This has prompted our reporter to dig up a previously unpublished article featuring a meeting between the National Assembly’s joint committee and Gambians in the Diaspora spearheaded by MSDG. More in the link.

A document circulating from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) indicates that 1,035 Gambians residing in the States have “final orders of removal.” Our researchers have dug deep to contextualise the number of unauthosied African-born immigrants residing in the U.S. and the number of arrests, detentions, and removals of Gambians that have been made by ICE from 2021 to October 2024. More in this feature publication.