Germany: Deportation puts Gambian migrants in fear—Refugee Council tells Pres. Barrow

The acceleration of deportations in recent months has led many Gambians in Germany to live in fear, according to the Refugee Council of Baden-Württemberg.

The Council wrote to Gambian leader Adama Barrow on August 26 urging him to engage the German authorities in ensuring the proper management of the plight of the Gambian migrants in the European country.

The Council said in a letter shared with Kerr Fatou that they are concern that the German authorities have deported more than 100 Gambian refugees between November 2018 and March 2019.

“We are worried that German politicians are determine to send back at least another 2400 Gambians. This does not mean that only criminals will be deported to The Gambia, as it is wrongly assumed and claimed. People are also deported who have been living in Germany for several years, they have a steady job, earn their own living and pay taxes to the German State. They learned the difficult German language and went to schools,” the Council said in a letter to Barrow.

“They (the migrants) do good work in German companies, they successfully play in German football clubs, get involved in sports and cultural clubs and have German friends. Most of them did not get into conflict with the law and were not to be blamed for anything. Even after the Gambian government placed moratorium on deportation of Gambian migrants following the last mass deportation of Gambian refugees from Germany through chartered flights, at least 12 people were reported deported to The Gambia through other means.”

The Refugee Council is a civil society organization that helps Gambian refugees in issues relating to asylum procedure in Germany. The Council said because of the threatening environment, Gambians go into hiding in order not to be deported.

Click to read the entire 8-page letter