A new nationwide survey by the Center for Policy, Research, and Strategic Studies (CepRass) suggests that many Gambians are dissatisfied with how the government is engaging with citizens living abroad. It also reveals growing unease about the decision to issue national identity cards outside the country.
The survey forms part of CepRass’s second series, “What Gambians Are Saying About the Country’s Direction,” and points to a generally negative public mood on diaspora-related policies. Most respondents feel that the government is not doing enough to support Gambians overseas. At the same time, close to seven out of ten people surveyed said they are worried that issuing ID cards abroad could make it easier for non-citizens to obtain them.
Overall, opinions on diaspora engagement were described as largely negative, with a fair amount of uncertainty as well. Just 3% of respondents said the government is handling the issue “very well,” while 16% rated its performance as “fairly well,” bringing total positive feedback to only 19%.
The report highlights this as a weak spot in government performance, especially considering how important diaspora contributions such as remittances and investments are to the country’s economy. It notes that this gap needs urgent attention.
Views differed across regions. Kuntaur stood out as the most positive, with 47% of respondents giving favorable ratings, followed by Basse at 37%. On the other hand, Brikama recorded the strongest criticism, with 61% expressing dissatisfaction, including 43% who rated performance as “very bad.” Kerewan also showed high levels of discontent at 57%. In Banjul, however, many people were unsure, with 37% saying they did not know how to rate the government’s efforts.
When broken down by gender, the differences were not huge but still noticeable. Positive ratings were almost the same 19% for men and 18% for women. However, more men (55%) expressed negative views compared to women (49%). Women were also more likely to say they were unsure, suggesting they may feel less informed or less engaged on the issue.
The survey also looked at public opinion on issuing national ID cards abroad, focusing on potential risks. A total of 69% of respondents agreed 36% strongly and 33% somewhat—that this policy could increase the chances of non-Gambians getting access to these documents. In contrast, 15% disagreed, 7% strongly disagreed, while a small number remained neutral (3%) or unsure (5%).
CepRass stressed that these responses reflect concern about how secure and reliable the system is, rather than support for the policy itself. Overall, the findings point to deeper worries about identity management and national security.
