The Spanish government has promised The Gambia an amount of 5m Euros. This was made known by Mr Miguel Moratinos, the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, during the signing of an immigration agreement between Spain and The Gambia recently at State House.

Mr Moratinos revealed that the aid is to finance micro-enterprise and micro-projects geared towards encouraging Gambian youths to stay put in The Gambia, and not risk their lives in perilous endeavors to travel to Spain via the Canary Islands. According to him this is an initial package, adding that the same amount had been given to Guinea Conakry where he visited earlier.

He added that the Spanish government would give economic and development assistance, as well as technical assistance-training for Gambian Security personnel to help build their capacity to control the illegal immigration problem.

He however warned that any Gambian illegal immigrant in Spain would be surely deported home.