Yahya Sonko, a Germany-based Gambian migrant rights activist, has said the European Union plans to send more deportation flights to The Gambia if the government continues to grant the EU landing permits.

Mr Sonko’s remark comes as a deportation flight with some Gambian migrants arrived in Banjul. 

He said: And more deportations would follow in April and May 2023. EU plan is to send 9 deportation charter flights to The Gambia in 2023 if Government continues to give them flights landing permits.”

However, he advised that: “the best is for our government to look for quick solutions. Already Gambia received more deportees than any other sub-Saharan African countries.  If current deportation trends continue Gambia would received hundreds of its citizens from Europe. 

“We could prevent this as a country. The political will was not there and that lead us to where we are today in regards to migration and deportation.”

Reporting by Adama Makasuba