The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) yesterday convened a one-day presentation on International Refugee Protection for members of the National Assembly at the Paradise Suits Hotel in Kololi.

The one-day presentation, according to UNHCR, is another important cornerstone of their work in The Gambia, more especially in sensitising and strengthening their ties with the law- makers of the country.

Welcoming NAMs at the presentation, Sekou K. Saho, UNHCR Head of Office, The Gambia said that The Gambia has accepted as binding on the country, the 1951 Convention relating to the status of refugees and its 1967 Protocol, as well as the 1969 OAU Convention governing the specific aspects of refugee problems in Africa.
He acknowledged the political commitment which the government of the Republic of The Gambia attaches to refugee matters, in particular receiving, hosting, assisting and protecting refugees of various nationalities.

This, he said, is amply demonstrated by the provision of a safe haven to over 14,000 refugees presently being hosted in the country.
“In fact, our long tradition of welcoming refugees in The Gambia is internationally well-known, especially during the crises in Liberia and Sierra Leone. To take this a bit further, there are refugees in this country who fled from conflicts in Ivory Coast, Togo, DRC Congo, Somalia and Ethiopia. Even not to look so far, The Gambia is hosting refugees from its very close neighbour, Senegal and today, there are over 6,000 refugees from the Senegalese Cassamance region hosted in the Western Region of The Gambia,” he said.

According to the UNHCR boss in The Gambia, the protection of refugees is primarily the responsibility of states noting that since the inception of UNHCR, they have been working very closely with governments as partners in refugee protection, more particularly here in The Gambia where the government is always steadfast in its obligations to refugee protection.

“The government’s commitment to the security and welfare of refugees over the years is demonstrated by the  issuance of thousands of refugee cards, thereby enhancing the free movement of refugees, allocation of land and assistance in the construction of refugee camps at Siffoe, Arankoli, Kwinella and Bambali, posting of immigration officers to the camps and also the visit to refugees in Bambali by Vice-President Njie-Saidy,” he highlighted.

He then confirmed that in the last decades, the world has been undergoing significant transformations which pose serious challenges to the capacity of states to respond to temporary displacement situations. He added that with the changing nature of armed conflicts and the location of our country, it becomes imperative that The Gambia remains in pursuit of not only finding durable solutions for refugees and the challenges associated with them, but also ensuring that we have the necessary legal tools required to face this challenges. 

Mr Saho then informed NAMs that they have a major role to play in ensuring that national debates take proper account of this important reality and of the many positive experiences countries have enjoyed in welcoming and integrating refugees of diverse culture and skills in the various communities and to also ensure that we give due consideration to domestic and political needs.

For his part, Honourable Abdoulie Bojang, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, who deputised for Speaker Fatoumata Jahumpa-Ceesay, told the gathering that the protection of refugees is the shared duty of all states and a matter of respect for basic human rights. He noted that The Gambia government under President Yahya Jammeh’s leadership is dedicated to any challenge that awards respect to human dignity and ensuring that even the weakest are heard. He noted that President Jammeh at various times privately gave food and non-food items for the sustenance of refugees hosted in various parts of the country.

“The Gambia government has always been dedicated to addressing the plight of refugees. In fact, the influx of Sierra Leonean and Liberian refugees is a testament to that. We have also seen in recent years that the government of The Gambia has facilitated refugee access to documentation for free movement and opened its economic markets for their access to employment especially in the education and health sectors,” he said.
He reminded NAMs of their roles towards the refugees saying that as law- makers, they are to make sure that they adopt legislations that are based on international standards which seek to promote refugee welfare and providing a basis for seeking solutions to the plight of refugees.

He then observed that sustainable self-reliance of refugees must be made a priority in order to ensure that their dependence is decreased and that initiatives which have the potential to bring about lasting solutions be promoted and supported. He noted that the government of The Gambia is presently supporting the enactment of the Refugee Bill which will not only incorporate provision of International Conventions, but also national legislations that address aliens and foreigners in general.

Hon. Bojang then saluted the government of The Gambia for being dedicated to working in partnership with UNHCR and revealed that the government will continue to strengthen these ties in promoting the welfare and lives of refugees not only in The Gambia but the world at large.

Ms Benedicte Voos, UNHCR Associate Protection Officer based in the regional office in Dakar gave a lengthy presentation on international protection. She highlighted the UNHCR history, the legal framework of refugee protection, the refugee definition, refugee rights and states obligation and other considerations (exclusion and cessation clause). She also answered to various concerns raised by NAMs during the question and answer session on refugee issues.

Commissioner Muhtarr Touray of the Gambia Immigration Department and Lamin William Jammeh of the Gambia Red Cross Society also effectively participated in answering concerns raised by NAMs.

Declaring the presentation closed, Albert Cox, Director of GAFNA commended NAMs for their effective participation and contribution towards the success of the one-day programme.