By: Nyima Sillah
Yahya Sonko, Migration and Human Rights Activist in Baden-Württemberg has revealed that the Gambia is excepting another 50 deportees in July.
Speaking to The Voice after the recent deportation of 35 Gambians who arrived in the country on Wednesday 21st June at 2:30 am, Sonko said another 50 Gambians will be deported in July from Germany.
He added that the level of deportation in Germany is very intense, noting that currently the German police authorities are arresting and detaining Gambian migrants who are mostly living in Baden-Württemberg.
“A huge number of Gambians are currently detained and police are still searching for many Gambians to arrest and detain. As far as statistics is concerned, since Barrow came to power, Germany alone deported more than 500 Gambians. Currently, more than 100 Gambians are detained in different deportation prisons within Germany all under police custody waiting for their deportation date,” he stressed.
Sonko also disclosed that the European Union and Gambia government officially confirmed that this year alone, Gambia is excepting nine deportation flights from the EU, adding that three are gone and six more to go.
He further added that the Gambians in Germany organized a demonstration in Stuttgart and called on the Gambia government and the EU to stop the culture of deportation, as many youths left the Gambia to be able to assist their family, develop their communities and help themselves “so if the government is operating with EU to send those people back it should be a concern to all Gambians.”
“Every family member should go out and demonstrate against the government culture of deportation. This culture of Deportation has to stop. The Gambia couldn’t continue receiving Gambians in hundreds,” he said.
Meanwhile, he added that there are solutions to the issue of deportation and the solution is for The Gambia government to revisit or review the so call good practice document that they signed with the EU that deal is the challenge.
He argued that if the government continues to accept deportation in this manner, they should know that it goes with responsibility; there should be reintegration packages available upon arrival. “But don’t receive deportees and run away from your responsibility this is dangerous for our community, their families, and even not good for our country,” he claimed.
“My message to the government is that they should do something with to this. In 2021 before the election, the government announced that they are not taking any deportees from any European country so the government should have the political will to come to the negotiation table.”
