A public exchange between a prominent migrant rights advocate and the spokesperson of the Gambia Immigration department has reignited tensions over how information about irregular migration should be shared, following reports of a large group of migrants safely reaching Spain’s Canary Islands.
Ebrima Drammeh, a well-known activist who monitors and reports on migrant journeys across the Atlantic and Mediterranean, announced on social media that approximately 170 migrants were rescued off La Gomera on Tuesday evening, January 6, 2026. According to Drammeh, the overcrowded canoe departed from Barra in The Gambia on December 28, 2025, enduring a grueling nine-day voyage before being located by Spanish authorities around 8:00 pm, 14 miles south of the island.
The group reportedly included one woman and ten minors, with some—including a woman and two children—in poor health upon arrival. Spanish Maritime Rescue deployed the Salvamar Mizar vessel, supported by the Civil Guard’s Río Tajo boat and the Helimer 201 helicopter on standby. All passengers were brought safely to shore.
Drammeh, who has tracked migrant movements for over a decade, used the occasion to underscore the perils of the Atlantic route while calling for global action on the underlying issues, such as poverty and unemployment, that drive departures from West Africa.
The report quickly drew criticism from Siman Lowe, spokesman for The Gambia’s Immigration Department. In a direct message, Lowe commended Drammeh’s past advocacy against irregular migration but argued that publicizing “successful” arrivals undermines deterrence efforts. “Your continuous updates on successful migration boats to Spain compromise national efforts to deter boat departures,” Lowe wrote, adding that such reports act as “push factors” encouraging others to risk the dangerous journey. He urged a more focused approach to prevention.
Drammeh fired back defensively, insisting his reporting serves families desperate for news of missing relatives. “Hundreds of families contact me… I can only inform the public via social media about departures, arrivals, accidents, and interceptions,” he responded. He claimed to have saved over 4,000 lives in the past year by sharing critical information and stressed he has never encouraged migration. Drammeh also accused authorities of ignoring his tips on impending departures and asserted individuals’ rights to travel.
The spat highlights deeper divisions in addressing West Africa’s migration crisis, where advocacy for safety clashes with government strategies to curb outflows amid declining overall arrivals to Europe in 2025.
