By: Mama A. Touray
The Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, Ismaila Ceesay, announced that the Gambian government will verify whether the purported 3,000 Gambians set to be deported by the U.S. government are indeed Gambians.
Ceesay made this statement during an interview on Coffee Time on West Coast Radio while discussing the U.S. government’s travel restrictions.
“The fact is that we have over 3,000 purported Gambians who are set to be deported to The Gambia by the American government. However, as a government, we need to verify whether they are truly Gambians before issuing them travel documents,” he clarified.
Ceesay added that the verification process is slow because these individuals are located in different states, and interviewing them to confirm their nationality is a lengthy process requiring significant logistical efforts.
“The U.S. government has suggested that these verifications be conducted virtually, which is part of the issue. We are going back and forth trying to find a solution. Due to the delays, an administrative decision was made to place The Gambia on a list of countries potentially facing travel restrictions,” he explained.
He further stated that the verification process is expected to last for sixty days, as per the directives of the U.S. government.
“We have been given sixty days to resolve the issue. I believe the government will assess the situation and work with the U.S. government, as has always been the case, to find a solution, given the strong bilateral relationship between the two countries,” he added.
Hon. Ceesay emphasized that there is no other reason for the potential travel restrictions apart from this verification process.
