The executive committee of Sierra Leonean refugees in The Gambia recently met at St. Therese’s Upper Basic School where they discussed issues pertaining to repatriation and integration as well as the way forward.

The meeting comes on the heels of persistent rumours of the reported evacuation of refugees for resettlement in America, Canada or Australia. After a month long registration exercise of all refugees, the Sierra Leonean refugees themselves debunked the rumour of resettlement by UNHCR.

It could be recalled that a lot of refugees that settled in The Gambia previously were resettled in different countries overseas. But following the end of the war, a repatriation exercise ensued, leading to the repatriation of all the refugees registered at the time. Those who managed to elude that repatriation were widely believed to be held back by the perceived fear of some form of persecution on returning home. This brought about the third stage of UNHCR’s refugee programme that they called integration.

Dwelling on the issue of integration Foard Kanu, the president of the Sierra Leonean Refugree Committee, said many people were looking forward to resettlement but that that was not what was meant. He said the number of refugees is 6, 273 according to UNHCR.

One of the refugees, Mr. Koroma, said he could see nothing wrong with Sierra Leone so that they could not return home rather than strive to go overseas. “We had our refugee cards but we have never enjoyed it,” he said, noting that integration into the Gambian society would prove very difficult. He therefore urged all refugees to think of returning home.

Christiana Kamara, the female refugee president, assured that repatriation would be possible if anyone wants to return. She asked her compatriots to contact them if they want to return home. Kpandeyenge, another refugee, asserted that they would return home because there is no place like home.

Various members echoed different sentiments, ranging from doubts about the veracity of the refugee figure, which one Sonny Alpha said has been underestimated. Another one, Tommy Alfred, said where prominent foreigners are challenged to prove their nationalities, what about refugees? He expressed pessimism about the whole idea of integration, favouring return home and developing their country.

Abdourahman, the refugee PRO, clarified that UNHCR had not forced integration on them. “It is one’s right to either go or stay,” he asserted.

Both Christiana Kamara and Foard Kanu assured that there would be no Sierra Leonean refugees in The Gambia come next June.