Since December 2018, COOPI has intervened in Gambia to assist returning migrants and in particular to take charge of the mental health and psycho-social well-being of those who have suffered violence along the route to Europe.

Irregular migration is a multidimensional and complex phenomenon, which also leads to countries being emptied of their human capital useful for local development. The main causes are the lack of employment and training opportunities, widespread poverty in rural areas, where agriculture is affected by climate change and socio-cultural factors and the limited presence of basic services, particularly in the field of education and primary health.

COOPI works to increase technical and vocational training and socio-professional integration of vulnerable young people, potential migrants and returning migrants. It offers psycho-social assistance to those who have suffered trauma; it runs a reception centre for minors in mobility, facilitating family reunification; it conducts information campaigns on the risks related to the illegal migratory choice and on the potential alternatives for personal fulfilment in the local context.