By: Dawda Baldeh
In the pursuit of success, there exists a thin line of regrettable choices. Lasana Baldeh, a Gambian migrant, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison in Tunisia for allegedly facilitating multiple financial transactions through his passport – a crime Tunisian authorities take seriously.
Lasana, originally from Bansang in the Central River Region, was living in Talinding before departing The Gambia on October 8, 2023, in search of greener pastures. Like many young Gambians disillusioned by limited opportunities, he opted for irregular migration in hopes of reaching Europe. He flew from Senegal to Tunisia, intending to board a boat to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Italy. After several failed attempts, he abandoned the plan and decided to return to Mauritania to start a new journey.
However, while at a Tunisian airport preparing to leave, authorities discovered that Lasana had been receiving multiple transactions through his passport and promptly arrested him, according to a family friend who spoke to The Fatu Network. The family claims he was charged with being an agent, an accusation he strongly denied.
“His passport was legitimate, and he was assisting Gambians in Tunisia, as well as people of other nationalities, to receive money – without realising it was illegal. He was never an agent,” the source explained.
Lasana had already spent over a year and six months in prison before receiving a 25-year sentence in June. “Let the family be at peace in Tunisia; once you are imprisoned, no amount of negotiation will secure your release,” said a migrant returnee. “It’s unfortunate, but there’s nothing that can be done.”
According to the family, multiple attempts have been made to reach Tunisian authorities through The Gambian Embassy in Morocco, which oversees Tunisia, but all efforts have so far proved unsuccessful. They are now calling on the government to intervene and help secure Lasana Baldeh’s release.
Over the years, many Gambian migrants have faced detention in Tunisian prisons, while thousands more have lost their lives in the desert and at sea in pursuit of a better life.
