Gambia deports 70 Senegalese minors

By Alpha Kamara

DAKAR, Senegal

Gambia has deported 70 Senegalese nationals who were said to be residing illegally in the country.

The deportees, mostly minors, were driven across the border to Senegal's Casamance region late Monday night.

Director of Gambia's Immigration Service Buba Sanyang told West Africa Democracy Radio in Dakar that the government regretted the move after it sparked negative reactions in Senegal.

“We deeply regret this unfortunate action which was taken by junior officers without the knowledge of the senior command. I must say it was not well handled. We hope the incident will not spark a misunderstanding between The Gambia and Senegal,” Sanyang said Tuesday morning.

Border security sources told Anadolu Agency the minors, aged between 14 and 18 years old, were in Banjul to look for petty jobs ahead of the Muslim feast of Eid al-Adha when they were arrested at random.

One of the minors who spoke anonymously to a local online radio in Banjul said they were rounded up at night while they were sleeping during a random security check.

“We were not even allowed to pick our belongings. We were put on trucks and sent across the border to Casamance” he added.

Meanwhile, Gambia has promised to take disciplinary measures against the officers involved after it sparked angry reactions across the border.