One hundred and ninety-three Gambians landed at Banjul airport last weekend from Libya and Niger. A return on a voluntary basis and coordinated by the United Nations agency for migration.
With our correspondent in Banjul, Milan Berckmans
Among the 193 Gambians who walked the tarmac in Banjul this Thursday, May 19, 148 arrived from Tripoli, and 45 from Niamey.
In Niger, these Gambians were stranded in the desert, on the Algerian border, in the region of Agadez. Thanks to this operation, they were able to return to their country via one of the transit centers of the United Nations agency for migration.
In Libya, some of the returning Gambians were recognized as “ vulnerable by the agency because of the violence and exploitation they have suffered.
According to the United Nations, all these people have received assistance which includes food, housing, psycho-social support and assistance in issuing consular documents, in addition to special humanitarian aid for those coming from of Libya.
These Gambians will also be offered economic, social and psychological assistance for their resettlement.
These voluntary returns are in fact part of a joint program of the European Union and the United Nations for the protection and reintegration of refugees in their countries of origin. In The Gambia, since the start of this program in 2017, 6,600 people have returned, including 3,300 from Libya, and 1,700 from Niger.