International
Organization for Migration (IOM), in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Aboard and the Ministry of
Interior, has repatriated 169 Gambians from Libya.
This
is the second batch of returnees following the repatriation of 140 Gambians
sometime last month.
The
deputy permanent secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ebrima Jobe,
said consultations for the repatriation were done in collaboration with the IOM
for Gambians living in Libya to come home voluntarily as “nobody was forced to
return home”.
He
assured Gambians that they would try by all means to repatriate the reminding
Gambians living in Libya.
DPS
Jobe added that there are more than 10 women, and babies as well as people, who
are very ill among the returnees, but they would try to take care as they
monitor their situation.
He
assured the returnees that the Government of The Gambia will try by all means
to ensure they are provided with all that they need to be able to stand on
their feet again.
He
also blamed the returnees for going to Libya after knowing that there is no
legitimate Government in that country.
Fatou
Bojang, one of the returnees, said they were subject to all kinds of torture
and they hardly eat enough nor were they able to look after themselves.
The
22-year-old, who is from Bansang but was living in Tallinding before she left
for Libya, said she regretted travelling to Libya as conditions are harsh for
migrants in that country.
Thank
God, she remarked, that there is now a change of government in The Gambia hence
she is optimistic that “things will finally change for the better so that there
will hardly be victims like her again from The Gambia.
Johnsaba
Jawara, who left The Gambia last year June, was 4-month pregnant when she took
the venture. And upon her arrival in Libya she was arrested and imprisoned for
7months. It was in prison that she gave birth to a baby boy, who is now
three-month-old.
The
21-year-old, who is from Tujereng, said she had to venture into the perilous
journey of going to Europe because of poverty. However, she regretted taking
the venture.
“I
was nearly killed because during my time at the prison the prison officers used
to stand on my stomach and when it was time for me to give birth it really
disturbed me and I suffered a lot; I even had complications and we hardly eat,”
she narrated her ordeal.
“If
you take half bread, that will be your meal for the rest of the day and if you
work for them they never pay your salary and if you ask you are subjected to
beating.”
Johnsaba
said she is appealing to the Government of the Gambia to do something about
their situation and to encourage and appeal to other Gambians who are about to
embark on such journey not to venture.
“Because
if they know what is in store for them in Libya they would rather stay here in
The Gambia and die in poverty than going to that hell on earth,” she said.
