“I am calling on the President and Government of The Gambia to consider the situation of Gambians who are currently imprisoned in Turkey,” Baldeh said.
He alleged that many Gambians are being detained and held for extended periods, sometimes without timely access to information about their cases or communication with their families.
“Many Gambians in prison have families back home who know nothing about their whereabouts. Some spend months in detention before being released,” he claimed.
Baldeh further alleged that some Gambians are arrested in their homes rather than at sea and are later accused of attempting to cross into Greece.
“Some people are detained while at home, yet they are accused of being intercepted at sea. As president of Gambians here, I want to fight for their rights and ensure their concerns are heard,” he said.
According to Baldeh, an estimated 200 Gambians are currently in Turkish prisons after attempting to migrate to Europe through Greece.
He also claimed that Gambian detainees often spend between eight months and one year in prison before being released, while migrants from some other countries are reportedly freed sooner following diplomatic interventions by their governments.
Former Detainees Share Experiences
Amie Secka, who said she was previously detained in Turkey, claimed she spent eight months in prison before being released. She urged the Gambian government to engage Turkish authorities on the treatment of Gambian migrants.
“We are appealing to the Gambian government to discuss this issue with the Turkish government. Many of these young people were simply trying to reach Europe,” she said.
Secka further claimed that after being arrested by Turkish authorities, she was unable to communicate with her family for the duration of her detention.
“Other nationalities are sometimes released within a shorter period, but many Gambians remain detained for months without contact with their relatives,” she alleged.
Another former detainee, Mustapha Touray, expressed disappointment with what he described as a lack of support for Gambians held in Turkish prisons.
Touray alleged that during a visit to the detention facility, Gambian migrants raised concerns about their situation and appealed for assistance.
Meanwhile, Fatou Ceesay claimed that Turkish police occasionally conduct operations in areas where migrants reside and detain undocumented individuals. Ceesay, who said she has lived in Turkey for four years, described the challenges faced by many Gambian migrants as severe, adding: “The hardships I have experienced in Turkey are unlike anything I faced before,” she said.
