Africa-Press – Gambia. Germany-based Gambian migration activist, Yahya Sonko, has expressed his disagreement with the European Union ambassador’s denial of Gambians being deported in large numbers from EU countries.
In an exclusive interview this week, EU ambassador to The Gambia, Immaculada Roca Cortés, confirmed that over 10,000 Gambians are facing deportation from European Union countries but denied that mass deportations are taking place.
Reacting to the ambassador’s claims, Mr Sonko said: “How can we talk about over 10,000 deportation cases and simultaneously claim that mass deportations are not happening? If the European Union had its way; if documents and diplomatic cooperation were not barriers; thousands of Gambians would have already been back in Banjul through forced returns.”
Sonko added that in just the past two years, 19 chartered deportation flights landed at Banjul International Airport.
“Each flight carried more than 20 Gambians, escorted by up to 60 EU police officers per flight. These are not ordinary flights. These are coordinated, expensive, state-sponsored operations aimed at removing people, most of whom left The Gambia due to poverty, repression, or lack of opportunity.”
He said many of the deportees report horrifying experiences of being shackled at both hands and feet, treated as criminals, and denied dignity.
“These are not isolated accounts. They are recurring testimonies. Yet Ambassador Cortés says there are no mass deportations. I urge her and the EU institutions she represents to match their words with their actions. What is delaying these mass returns is not a lack of will from the EU, but the refusal of many Gambians to self-identify, thanks to the awareness raised by activists, legal advisers, and community networks in the diaspora. These defenders of dignity are not fighting against law and order; they are fighting for justice, transparency, and the right to due process.”
He said Gambians are resisting cooperation with forced deportations because they know that “once you hand over your documents, you are handing over your future to a government that may not have the capacity or willingness to reintegrate you, and to a European system that is more focused on borders than on people”.
He added: “If the EU truly values the diaspora’s contribution, why do you deny visas even for legal travellers? Since January 2025, the German embassy in Dakar has blocked visa appointments for Gambians. Where is the legal, regulated migration you speak of? Why the double standards? The €500 million question is: where is the impact? We acknowledge the ambassador’s claim that EU has invested €500 million in The Gambia since 2017. But we must ask: Where is the transparency? Where is the impact?”
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