By: Nyima Sillah
Yahya Sonko, a Migration and Human Rights Activist in Baden-Württemberg Germany, on Monday, 24th July, disclosed to this medium that both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Union have confirmed the deportation of 25 Gambian nationals from Germany come Thursday 27th July 2023.
The airlifting of this ready for deportation migrants will be done through a chartered flight to the Gambia.
In a telephone interview with The Voice, Sonko said “This is very sad as I am speaking I am just from visiting the deportation prison in Baden-Württemberg. Almost all these deportees are currently detained waiting for their deportation date. When I met them, what I saw was depression, frustration, and worried.
“Some of them said the Barrow government failed them. I saw some that did not eat for 3 days because they went through a hunger strike because they didn’t want to go home. Some told me that they would rather die in that prison than come back.”
Mr. Sonko added that he confirmed the deportation yesterday on the 24th of July 2023 from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the reaction of the government was that they are helpless in this situation hence the EU is saying they are deporting Gambians based on their laws and regulations with regards to their country’s laws and regulations.
As usual, he said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ reaction was that they are helpless and cannot do anything about the situation.
“I am very disappointed with that reaction with that narration from the MoFA as they continue saying they are helpless or that if a country says they are deporting your citizens, and you are just accepting them just like that. It never works like that.”
However, he stressed that if deportation is really a concern for President Barrow, he could have set up a delegation to visit the EU, particularly Germany, which has the highest rate, and negotiate the issue.
“We all know in the history of the Gambia, it has never happened. statistically, the Gambia never received more than 5 deportation flights in a year but this year the Gambia is going to receive nine deportation flights,” he stated from his memory.
He noted that the deportation flight will leave on Wednesday the 26th of July in the evening and arrive in the Gambia in the early hours of the 27th July 2023.