Gambian musicians unhappy with US deportation

T Smallz and Benjahmin were reacting to the confirmation, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that 45 Gambians were deported from the US a few months after the US lifted a visa restriction on Gambian officials.

The ministry’s spokesperson, Saikou Ceesay, said the ministry had provided emergency travel certificates to affected persons holding a Gambian passport.

“There is nothing like deportation agreement between the US and Gambia," Ceesay said. "These are people who were found to have been illegally living in the US by a court and they wanted to deport them. As a country from where they came, we agreed and issued an emergency travel certificate to those found with Gambian passports."

In many quarters the deportations are seen as an execution of President Donald Trump's decision to clamp down on immigration.

Responding to the deportations, T Smallz said: “Can someone tell me how and why deporting our own people from the States happened? Because I can’t still cope with this situation! This is sad and a hard situation for anyone involved! I saw a video where this guy said they didn’t even allow them to have their own travelling documents! Meaning they can’t take what belongs to them either? These people have families and trust me many depend on them."

Besides the deportation, the Gambia has seen a number of visa refusals by Western countries, including the UK which refused visas to artists Brikama Boyo and Big Faa.

"It’s unfortunate we (I and St Singhateh) were unable to get visa's from the British embassy!” Big Faa said when he was refused a visa months ago. “But life goes on. God’s time is always the best time! We still representing Gambia!"

A Gambian resident in Germany, Pa Darboe, said undocumented Gambian migrants in Europe were afraid. “Even here in Europe, many have started leaving their apartments because they are scared," he said. "No one wants to live in another man’s land for the rest of your life, but there is nothing in the Gambia for them.”

Germany-based reggae singer Benjahmin also spoke about the matter, saying: “My message to every African is let's make a plan to build back home. Send all your resources back home, be it big, small or little. For no matter how long you there in the lake you will never be a crocodile. A black man will never be accepted in a white man’s world as equal.”