The Report of the Joint Visit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad and the National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs to the Federal Republic of Germany has revealed that official data shows that there are still over 4,000 Gambians in Baden-Württemberg with rejected asylum cases awaiting deportation.
The report was read by Hon. Madi M.K. Ceesay, member of the committee, on behalf of the chairperson Hon. Billay Tunkara, Member for Kantora.
He said Gambian-German Refugees Association European Center had informed the delegation that, “despite writing to various government bodies and proposing solutions”, these efforts have so far yielded limited results. “In response, the GRA organised a peaceful demonstration in The Gambia in 2019, after which the government announced a moratorium on deportations.
However, he added: “Official data shows that there are still over 4,000 Gambians in Baden-Württemberg with rejected asylum cases awaiting deportation.”
He further stated that government would need to leverage on international laws to promote integration of migrants into Germany rather than another option.
As of 2020, the report shows, 15,730 Gambians were residing in Germany. Out of this number, 2,564 were awaiting the outcome of their asylum applications, while 6,043 had had their asylum claims rejected.
Additionally, Hon Ceesay stated that 500 Gambians were engaged in vocational training and paying taxes, while 207 had completed their training and were granted residential permits. During the same year, 160 Gambians were deported.
“By June 2021, approximately 2,000 Gambians were still awaiting asylum decisions, and 7,035 had their applications rejected. However, 336 Gambians were granted residential permits after completing their vocational training, and 174 were permitted to stay due to successful integration.”
He noted that the Chairperson of the Refugee Association informed the delegation that Germany had expressed a preference for accepting skilled workers from countries like Kenya and India.
Hon. Ceesay further disclosed: “The World Migration Report 2024 reveals that in 2020, 281 million people migrated internationally, representing 3.6% of the global population.
“This figure includes 169 million labour or economic migrants. As of 2019, 35.3 million refugees registered in 2022, and 5.4 million asylum seekers recorded in the same year.”
He also stated: “The economic impact of migration is substantial, particularly through remittances. The World Migration Report 2024 indicates that global remittances reached USD831 billion in 2022, with USD647 billion received by low- and middle-income countries. These remittances often constitute a significant portion of the recipient countries’ GDPs and now surpass foreign direct investment in many developing nations.
“It is imperative to acknowledge that irregular migration has contributed to significant loss of life and displacement globally. In 2023, 8,500 persons were registered as dead or missing worldwide. The Gambia and other sub-Saharan African countries bear a disproportionate burden of these tragic outcomes.”
The committee recommended that the Gambia government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, should negotiate and enter into agreement with the German government on Circular Migration to enable young skilled Gambians to secure employment opportunities and curb illegal migration.
They also recommended that the Gambia government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, should continuously conduct regular dialogue with Germany and other European authorities on the possibility of minimising the deportation of Gambians in Germany and other European countries.
