Following widespread reports and allegations that government had signed a deportation agreement with Switzerland, the Vice President Dr. Isatou Touray, on Friday denied those allegations as “false”. She was speaking in an interview with Ansumana S.O Nyassi, following a closed-door meeting with the visiting Vice President of Switzerland, Ignazio Cassis at statehouse.
Deportation is quite a contentious issue especially here in the Gambia, where rumours and reports of an alleged agreement between the governments of the Gambia and Switzerland have been rife in the past weeks.
This follows the vice president’s highly publicized visit to Bern on January 12th, during which she signed two cooperation agreements on aviation and Migration. However, the latter drew widespread criticism with many alleging that deportation was embedded in the said agreement.
However, newspaper reports in Switzerland, revealed that the agreement covers issues relating to the practical organization of returnees, such as identification and the issuing of replacement documents. And it allows the two countries to “strengthen their respective efforts in fighting illegal migration.” Similar migration cooperation agreements have been signed with eight other countries on the African continent, among them Angola, Cameroon, Benin and Tunisia.
But following a close-door meeting with Ignazio Cassis, Switzerland’s vice president who signed the said agreement on behalf of the Swiss government, Vice President Dr. Isatou Touray, strongly denied signing any deportation agreement.
Switzerland’s vice president, Ignazio Cassis, says he is in the Gambia to strengthen bilateral ties and promote Switzerland’s new strategy for sub-Saharan Africa, which aims to raise the country ‘s political profile and strengthen relations with African states.
He also revealed that part of his mission is to promote the ‘Remittances in Crisis: How to Keep them Flowing' appeal, a joint campaign launched by Switzerland and the United Kingdom in May last year. Although it is not clear whether the migration agreement includes deportation, as being alleged by critics, migrations’ right activists in Europe are trying to reach the bottom of the entire migration agreement.
However, officials say the agreement on migration allows Switzerland and The Gambia to strengthen their respective efforts in fighting illegal migration. The Gambia government is currently facing criticism for allegedly signing EU Good Document Practice – that allows its citizens to be deported back home. However, the vice president maintains, government has not signed any deportation agreement with Switzerland.
BY: Ansumana S.O Nyassi
Deportation is quite a contentious issue especially here in the Gambia, where rumours and reports of an alleged agreement between the governments of the Gambia and Switzerland have been rife in the past weeks.
This follows the vice president’s highly publicized visit to Bern on January 12th, during which she signed two cooperation agreements on aviation and Migration. However, the latter drew widespread criticism with many alleging that deportation was embedded in the said agreement.
However, newspaper reports in Switzerland, revealed that the agreement covers issues relating to the practical organization of returnees, such as identification and the issuing of replacement documents. And it allows the two countries to “strengthen their respective efforts in fighting illegal migration.” Similar migration cooperation agreements have been signed with eight other countries on the African continent, among them Angola, Cameroon, Benin and Tunisia.
But following a close-door meeting with Ignazio Cassis, Switzerland’s vice president who signed the said agreement on behalf of the Swiss government, Vice President Dr. Isatou Touray, strongly denied signing any deportation agreement.
Switzerland’s vice president, Ignazio Cassis, says he is in the Gambia to strengthen bilateral ties and promote Switzerland’s new strategy for sub-Saharan Africa, which aims to raise the country ‘s political profile and strengthen relations with African states.
He also revealed that part of his mission is to promote the ‘Remittances in Crisis: How to Keep them Flowing' appeal, a joint campaign launched by Switzerland and the United Kingdom in May last year. Although it is not clear whether the migration agreement includes deportation, as being alleged by critics, migrations’ right activists in Europe are trying to reach the bottom of the entire migration agreement.
However, officials say the agreement on migration allows Switzerland and The Gambia to strengthen their respective efforts in fighting illegal migration. The Gambia government is currently facing criticism for allegedly signing EU Good Document Practice – that allows its citizens to be deported back home. However, the vice president maintains, government has not signed any deportation agreement with Switzerland.
BY: Ansumana S.O Nyassi