The Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment (MOTIE) has condemned the illegal recruitment of citizens for Spanish employment through a statement released by the ministry on Monday.
According to the statement, “It has come to the notice of The Gambia Government through the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment, that there are unscrupulous elements or agencies involved in illegal recruitment of Gambians to work in Spain.
No sooner had The Gambia and Spain entered into a Bilateral Labour Agreement, the modalities of which are still in their preliminary stages, then these bad elements, their surrogates, clandestine and illegal operatives, begun abusing the programme.
The Gambia Government condemns in the strongest terms this illegality perpetrated by deceptive individuals, extortionists or agents targeting vulnerable citizens with the pretext that they would provide them employment opportunities in Spain.
The public is hereby informed that the Trade Ministry has not licensed or authorized any recruitment agency to recruit Gambians for Spanish employment and anyone found involved in such illegal practices, shall be dealt with according to the Law.”
The statement continued that “Members of the public are urged to refrain from dealing with these unauthorized and deceptive individuals, operating without the requisite Government licenses, which is in total violation of The Gambia Labour Laws. In addition, the Ministry wishes to remind the public that engaging with unregistered recruiters is not only illegal but poses significant risks to individuals’ safety and financial well-being. These bandits can only be classified as professional scammers motivated by a magical desire for riches.”
Accordingly, The Gambia Government called on all citizens, members of the public, and Local Government Administrators to be vigilant and to report any suspicious recruitment activities to the appropriate authorities
