The attention of IHRDA was drawn to the situation of the community of Ghana Town in Gambia, which faces several issues with socio-economic development, with the leading issue being the lack of documentation due to their non-recognition as citizens of Gambia though many community members trace their lineage to Ghanaian fisherfolk who arrived in Gambia before independence and would therefore qualify as Gambian nationals at the time of independence. As a result, most community members have been unable to attain the citizenship of Ghana nor Gambia. While there was a presidential declaration to grant nationality to the inhabitants of Ghana Town in 2006 through naturalization, this process was not formally completed though many of them were subsequently issued with national identity cards. Following the change in government in 2017, the new government withdrew recognition of the Gambian nationality of the inhabitants of Ghana Town citing the incomplete naturalization process rather than putting measures in place to complete the administrative processes to regularize their status as Gambian citizens.

Following engaging with the youth leadership of the community in June 2025 we have held further engagements with the National Human Rights Commission and the Refugees Commission towards provided the necessary technical assistance in ensuring that a permanent solution is found to the statelessness of community members of Ghana Town.