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| toubab1020 |
Posted - 22 Aug 2020 : 20:21:01
Yet ANOTHER SCOOP by The Standard
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https://standard.gm/gambians-in-lebanon-vandalise-consulate/
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By Momodou Darboe & Omar Bah on August 21, 2020
Some stranded Gambians in Lebanon yesterday vandalised the Gambian consulate in Beirut in an apparent explosion of fury and frustration over their continued stay in that country. Gambia Foreign Ministry sources confirmed the assault on The Gambia’s diplomatic compound in Beirut by the disgruntled Gambians.
Pictures of the vandalism have also emerged on social media. o months ago, The Standard was informed by some Gambians in Lebanon that at least 45 of them, most of em young ladies, were stranded in the troubled country and seeking help to be repatriated.
At the time, The Gambia’s consul in Beirut told this medium that efforts were underway to repatriate the stranded Gambians. Earlier this month, The Gambia Foreign Ministry announced it was working on repatriating them to Banjul. But pushed to the end of their tethers at the apparent tardiness or inaction from the officials, the aggrieved Gambians stormed the Beirut consulate where they caused damages to the property.
“Indeed we have received reports that the Gambian consulate in Beirut has been vandalised by some Gambians stranded in Lebanon,” foreign ministry spokesman Saikou Ceesay told The Standardlast evening.
“We condemn, in no uncertain term, this willful damage to property. The property housing the Gambian consulate in Beirut is a private one. We urge all Gambians to exercise their right to protest through peaceful means, ” he stated. Asked about the situation of the protesters, Ceesay reported that attempts were made by the Lebanese authorities to arrest the “vandals”.
“But it was the honorary consul who interceded on their behalf to avert this because preparations are at advanced stage for their return home and arresting them will cause delays.
We have already sought waivers and emergency passports were approved and stamped by the immigration department in Beirut,” he posited.
However, he could not say exactly which day the stranded Gambians will be airlifted. Over the past year, the economic situation in the Middle Eastern country has pushed tens of thousands of people into poverty foremost migrants workers like the now stranded Gambians.
A cataclysmic blast at the port in the nation’s capital earlier this month sent the country’s battered economy hurtling toward a dangerous unknown. |
| 5 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 07 Sep 2020 : 14:10:08
https://standard.gm/stranded-gambian-women-in-lebanon-finally-return/
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By Omar Bah on September 7, 2020
After weeks of protests, dozens of Gambian women stranded in Lebanon have finally returned home thanks to the campaign and support of Sweden-based Gambian activist, Lovette Jallow.
Jallow, the woman who led the campaign calling for the repatriation of the women, shared a communique from her organization, Action for Humanity announcing the return of 38 Gambian women including two children from Beirut, Lebanon through Dakar, Senegal.
The organisation paid for the air tickets of each of the women as well as provided buses to transport them from Dakar airport to The Gambia. The women were received at Dakar airport by a Gambian team serving as project managers for Action for Humanity in the Gambia.
For more than nine months, most of the women were unable to leave because their travel documents were seized. The women expressed frustration at the lack of support from the Gambian Consul in Beirut, thus leaving them helpless and had to fend for themselves in quite difficult circumstances in Lebanon.
Jallow and her organisation then get involved with the women in August following its release of a video about the ‘kafala’ system.
The ‘kafala’ system is a scheme in the Middle East where migrant workers mainly from Africa are trafficked into various countries of the region to become construction or domestic workers with the promise of good paying jobs which in fact turns out to be a life of servitude, forced labour, rape, physical abuse, unpaid work and in some instances unpermitted removal of kidneys of victims.
“Upon the release of our video, a group of Gambian women who were victims of the ‘kafala’ system in Lebanon reached out to Ms. Jallow to help them to establish contact with the Gambian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to repatriate them. These women had run away from their abusive employers while others were injured in the recent massive explosion in Beirut which left hundreds dead and thousands more injured
“To fulfil our promise to these women, Lovette then contacted the foreign ministry in Banjul as well as a local organization in Lebanon that campaigns against the ‘kafala’ system. To our amazement, the foreign ministry was not forthcoming hence our decision to actively and fully undertake the issue of these women to repatriate them,” the organization said in the statement.
The organisation said after initial rejection of their initiative to pay for the air tickets, the Gambia Government eventually capitulated by allowing the women to travel on their arrangement.
The 38 women and children arrived at Blaise Diagne International Airport in Dakar on Friday 4th September 2020 from where they immediately joined buses to Banjul.
“However, we must report our shock and dismay that even though the Gambia Government is aware of our entire arrangements, they still went ahead to provide buses for these women at the airport. It was not until after some tense moments that the women were eventually allowed to board our buses to travel to their respective homes in the Gambia, with the Government buses trailing behind them,” the organisation said.
They also promised to provide social, economic and financial support to these women including providing them counselling services.
“We have also hired a lawyer to look after their rights and interests and to ensure justice for them for the abuse meted out to them in Lebanon. We hope the Gambia Government will provide us the necessary cooperation to ensure these objectives are met,” it added.
While highlighting the high incidence of human trafficking in the country, the organisation urged the Gambia Government to take urgent steps to tackle the menace.
“Above all, there is need for the Government to undertake meaningful programs and services that will empower the youth and women to find dignified livelihoods in the country as a prevention against human trafficking. As citizens, it is necessary that everyone joins the fight against human trafficking knowing full well that the next victim may be yourself or your loved one
“Traffickers are smart criminals who have the ability to make innocent people believe what is not true hence no one is fully immune from their diabolical schemes,” the organisation noted. |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 02 Sep 2020 : 15:02:09
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https://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/headlines/govt-vows-to-prosecute-any-public-official-involved-in-human-trafficking
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Sep 2, 2020, 12:40 PM | Article By: Sankulleh Gibril Janko
The minister of Information and Communication Infrastructure, Ebrahim Sillah, in an interview with West Coast Radio on Tuesday said, any public official who is found to be involved in human trafficking will face the full force of the law.
This comes as the repatriation of Gambians in Lebanon still lingers on.
About 38 Gambian ladies have been stranded in Lebanon for months and are yet to be repatriated after numerous efforts from the government to bring them back home.
It is alleged that the Foreign Ministry is dragging the issue because some of the officials from the ministry are involved in the trafficking of some of the stranded girls.
The information minister, however, expressed shock upon hearing the allegation and claimed that was news to him.
He, however, said that the Barrow led government will not condone any illegal activity most especially from public servants.
“That is news to me but I think it is reprehensible for any government official to prey on the innocence of young people and promise them jobs outside only to find themselves in this very difficult situation.
“I know that the government of The Gambia will not take it lightly if we have evidence that public officials are involved in trafficking young girls to the Middle East to be enslaved and to go through this unnecessary hardship,” he stressed.
He said it is good to exercise caution before evidence of the allegations can be proven, acknowledging public officials are sometimes accused wrongly.
“Notwithstanding if anybody is found to be involved in human trafficking, the laws of this country are very clear, and the government of The Gambia will not take that lightly. We’ll take the appropriate steps to see that the person is prosecuted and where necessary sent to jail,” Sillah said.
He said the allegations will be taken seriously and hopefully the Foreign Ministry and the police will take the necessary measures to further verify the allegations.
He urged the media to come up with any evidence that could be vital in getting to the bottom of the matter.
The Information minister clarified the delay in repatriating the girls as a result of minor legal issues involving some of the girls.
Minister Sillah said the government has spoken to its counterparts in Beirut to settle the issue.
This reporter is privy to information and can confirm that indeed some of the ladies are involved in some legal issues which make it difficult to have them repatriated. |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 02 Sep 2020 : 14:11:36
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https://foroyaa.net/minister-sillah-explains-situation-of-36-gambians-stranded-in-lebanon-as-they-set-to-land-in-dakar-in-the-weekend/
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By Momodou Jarju on September 2, 2020
The Minister of Information Communication and Infrastructure, Ebrima Sillah, has shad light on the current situation of dozen of Gambian women who are stranded in Lebanon and are due to be repatriated.
In a telephone interview, Minister Sillah said he received information that the returnees are expected to land in Dakar, Senegal in the weekend.
The minister’s remarks came after Swedish based Gambian activist, Lovette Jallow, founder of Action for Humanity (AH) – a non-profit organization, disclosed that she will pay the cost of tickets for the stranded Gambian women in Lebanon to be repatriated.
The ministry of foreign affairs denied collaborating with Madam Jallow to see through the repatriation of the stranded Gambians, according to local report.
But Minister Sillah said the issue of collaborating is not important, but the status of the Gambian women is.
He said he is aware that Lovette Jallow had purchased tickets and he heard that Madam Jallow said the 36 stranded Gambians in Lebanon are due to arrive in the country in the coming weekend.
Thus, he commended Lovette Jallow for her efforts considering the current Covid-19 situation in the country.
“We welcome anybody supporting government outside in any way possible,” Minister Sillah added.
Madam Jallow is said to have spent about three million Gambian dalasi on the tickets of the women returnees, including their passage to The Gambia when they reach Senegal among others.
Government’s Role Explained
Sillah said they started a process for the repatriation of the Gambian women who are stranded in Lebanon, saying some of them were trafficked and some of them, their travel documents were confiscated.
Thus, he said they made engagements with the relevant authorities in Lebanon to facilitate the release of the confiscated documents of the women.
He further said the government was in direct negotiation with authorizes in Lebanon because, also, according to the laws of that country (Lebanon), if someone overstays in their country, the person must serve one month jail term.
“We negotiated and they were able to release them,” Sillah said.
Nonetheless, Minister Sillah explained that these kinds of matters need state to state negotiations, which is more effective.
Sillah said another problem that they had to address was the issue of Emergency Travelling Certificates for the stranded Gambians.
The emergency travelling certificate allows for direct flight- which would be direct flight from Lebanon to The Gambia which is non-existent at the moment. It is only via Senegal which is possible.
The Information Minister said the ministry of foreign affairs negotiated with authorities in Senegal about the situation and they have allowed the returnees to land in their country.
He remarked: “The foreign affairs ministry had negotiated with the Senegalese officials to allow them to land there.”
He added Lovette Jallow had made arrangement for the women to be transported via bus into the Gambian border.
Sillah said the purchase of tickets is the last thing to do. First, he said they have to ensure the women have their travelling certificates, some of whom don’t have visas. |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 31 Aug 2020 : 11:47:50
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http://dailynewsgm.com/what-is-the-fate-of-stranded-gambian-women-in-lebanon/
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EDITORIAL.
Our Gambian women are stranded at Lebanon and they are up to 36 of them including two babies and their condition is getting from bad to worst on a daily basis. Something needs to be done and soon.
A international NGO is ready to pay 27,000 USD, to buy tickets for the stranded Gambian women in Lebanon to facilitate their safe return home but it is said that the government of the Gambia has blocked the payment of tickets for our sisters and mothers to come home safe and our government is alleged to have said they will pay for them to come home instead. This is not done up to the time of writing this editorial.
The Consulate with consultation with the said NGO have gathered all the 36 women and two babies at one place and ready to foot the bill to get them home. If Gambia government can actually pay for these stranded women and babies why has it taken so long to do so? It is said that it took this process to go on for more than 9 months.
Now that we can’t still have our loved ones back and they are suffering day by day in a foreign land, what should our government do as its duty to her subjects?
Yes we know that government can’t pay for all the stranded citizens everywhere in the world but if there is or are interested organizations who are willing to help why block such help? In the case of the 36 women in Lebanon the government of the Gambia now should make sure they do not suffer anymore since according to sources an organization is ready to pay for their air tickets.
Reports have it that some of these women have been away for years and some of them have already lost their patents; any serious government would act swiftly go to the rescue of her citizens ; but what we are seeing is the lack of seriousness on the side of government to rescue her citizens from Lebanon.
The stranded women and the two babies must have the undistracted attention of government the soonest as their condition is getting very critical day by day. If it is found that government blocked an international NGO to pay for their air tickets resulting to more delay in their return, the foreign ministry needs an explanation to Gambians. |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 26 Aug 2020 : 00:05:08
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https://standard.gm/govt-gives-update-on-fate-of-gambians-in-lebanon/
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Press release on August 25, 2020
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad wishes to update the general public on the ongoing repatriation efforts by The Government of The Gambia to secure the evacuation of about thirty-six (36) Gambian Migrant Workers currently in Lebanon.
The Government of The Gambia is at all times committed to the protection of its citizens, especially women, children and those most vulnerable. Allegations of trafficking of Gambian women and girls have always been treated seriously by the Government.
It is to be recalled that the Government of The Gambia fielded missions to Lebanon in 2014 and 2015 to find out first-hand information on the plight of Gambian Migrant Workers. The missions resulted in the successful obtainment of penalty and detention waivers and the subsequent repatriation of some of the women to The Gambia. A fully funded repatriation package and psychosocial support was afforded to those willing to return.
Out of a total of thirty (30) women initially registered for repatriation, only ten (10) were eventually repatriated. The remaining twenty (20) rejected the Government’s offer of repatriation and made the decision to stay in Lebanon for economic reasons.
Today, despite the Government’s previous experiences, the constraints with the effects of Covid-19 on the economy and the need for rationing of resources becoming even more important, it has not relented to ensure the safe repatriation of the Gambian women in Lebanon.
The Honorary Consul in Lebanon is working with authorities in Lebanon to surmount the administrative hurdles such as the payment of penalties before exit clearances are issued. It is alleged that some of the women had absconded from their respective employment in violation of their employment contracts, some had minor criminal charges levied against their persons, and some had immigration penalties to settle as a result of overstaying their visas. These only compounded the complexities in the process of obtaining the clearances.
Additionally, the task of the Honorary Consul to discern which of the women wish to be repatriated proved increasingly difficult as some of the women changed their minds, claiming they have found new jobs and now wish not to be repatriated.
Presently, the Honorary Consul has obtained approval for the waivers of penalties and clearances to travel for all the women. Once these clearances are received, the Government will ensure their safe return.
NAATIP and the relevant Government institutions are working on investigating the perpetrators and this requires close collaboration with the alleged victims to ensure that the perpetrators are apprehended, investigated and prosecuted.
In the meantime, we continue to seek the understanding of the women in Lebanon and the Gambian population to exercise patience whilst efforts to repatriate the women are ongoing. We further urge the public to verify all information received, especially on social media with the Communication Unit of the Ministry. |
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