Switzerland and The Gambia have signed cooperation agreements on migration and civil aviation to open up new opportunities for both countries, a statement made available said on Wednesday.
The agreement was signed during the official visit to Bern, Switzerland, by a Gambian delegation led by vice President Isatou Touray.
The Gambian vice president held talks with vice president of the Swiss Federal Council, Mr. Ignazio Cassis and Mrs. Karin Keller-Sutter, Federal Councillor.
According to the statement, the agreement on migration allows Switzerland and The Gambia to strengthen their respective efforts in fighting illegal migration.
It said Ms Keller-Sutter and the Gambian vice President discussed migration issues and the way in which the two countries can strengthen their cooperation.
Many Gambian citizens are leaving for other countries in the region, Europe or the United States and they account for a significant proportion of migrants crossing the Mediterranean each year to reach the Italian or Spanish coasts.
The statement said after a peak in 2016, the number of asylum applications from Gambian nationals in Switzerland has fallen sharply.
“Faced with these challenges, the State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) intends to continue to support the Gambian authorities in handling migration, not least by helping to implement projects locally. So far, SEM has organised ad hoc training to enable The Gambia to increase its capacities and is supporting a project with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The statement noted that operational cooperation with The Gambia over returning citizens generally works well.
The agreement covers issues relating to the practical organisation of returnees, such as identification and the issuing of replacement documents.
Switzerland has so far concluded eight similar migration cooperation agreements with African countries, including Angola, Cameroon, Benin and Tunisia.
The two sides also signed an aviation services agreement which allows airlines to offer passengers as well as shipping companies competitive prices and services on open markets.
The statement said other issues addressed included the COVID-19 pandemic.
