Africa-Press – Gambia. Minister of Information Dr. Ismaila Ceesay has clarified that the issuance of non-Gambian ID cards to foreign nationals does not entitle holders to participate in elections or register to vote in The Gambia.
Speaking on a radio programme, Dr. Ceesay addressed public concerns and speculation surrounding the policy, emphasizing that these ID cards are strictly for identification purposes and not equivalent to Gambian national ID cards.
“What the insinuation was is to give these non-Gambians so they could use it to vote. But no, it’s not like Gambian ID cards. Like I said, it’s non-Gambian ID cards. You cannot use this to register to vote,” he said.
Dr. Ceesay explained that non-Gambian ID cards were previously issued to nationals from Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, and Sierra Leone, and that the policy has recently been expanded to include Nigerian and Guinean nationals.
In July 2025, the Gambia Immigration Department announced that it had received a directive from the Ministry of Interior to begin issuing non-Gambian ID cards to Nigerian and Guinean residents, replacing the former system of residence permits.
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