Seyaka Sonko was speaking at Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland during the 74th Executive Committee (EXCOM) meeting of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees – from 9-13 October 2023.
“It is pivotal to underscore the heightened vulnerabilities experienced by specific demographic cohorts, such as women, children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities, during episodes of forced displacement. In this regard, The Gambia calls for increased support and technical assistance from the UNHCR and its partners for Member States with limited resources, who continue to host these vulnerable groups,” he stated.
He continued that The Gambia government, in its quest to fulfil its GRF pledges, is committed to reforming the provisions of the 1997 Constitution concerning refugees and aliens. Minister Sonko further reiterated that a point of focus is the necessity to ensure that the Refugee Identity Card is recognised as valid proof of residence during the naturalisation process.
“We aim to eradicate statelessness in The Gambia. In this regard, we have completed a comprehensive study on statelessness and we solicit the continued support of our partners in the realisation of this mission.”
The Interior minister indicated that the government of The Gambia has taken monumental strides toward digitizing birth registration. He added that the fruition of this initiative was evident in the mass electronic birth registration and National Health Insurance Scheme Enrolment Campaign between August 2022 and February 2023.
“The Gambia remains short of refugees and persons of concern from the ECOWAS sub-region. Out of a total of 4,178 – 3,751 are refugees and 427 asylum seekers. A majority of this group is domiciled in our rural communities, blending harmoniously with local communities and playing a pivotal role in developmental activities,” he stated, adding that the influx of an estimated 1,117 displaced persons from the southern Casamance region of Senegal in January 2022 underscores the dynamic nature of displacement patterns and “reinforces our plea for enhanced support from the international community.”
