Gambia's President Adama Barrow announced that biometric identity cards will be issued to citizens starting in October. This follows the reinstatement of the contract with biometric company Semlex earlier this year. The Gambian identity card will be recognised as both an identity and a travel document in the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) region. To acquire the new card biometric registration is required, as well as Gambian citizenship documents such as a birth certificate, identity card, or passport.