Tübingen / Breisach, 30. Oktober 2019

Die gambische Regierung hat sich mit der EU auf eine Wiederaufnahme der Abschiebungen nach Gambia verständigt. Nach dieser neuen Vereinbarung der gambischen Regierung mit der EU sind ab sofort Abschiebungen nach Gambia wieder jederzeit möglich und werden bereits durchgeführt! Eine erste Abschiebung aus Baden-Württemberg nach Gambia hat unmittelbar danach bereits stattgefunden.

Quelle: Bündnis Bleiberecht Tübingen

Nach massiven Protesten der gambischen Bevölkerung in Gambia selbst gegen die zunehmend von Polizeigewalt und Entwürdigung der Betroffenen geprägten Abschiebungen u.a. aus Deutschland hatte die gambische Regierung zu Jahresbeginn ein Rücknahmemoratorium ausgesprochen und damit effektiv Abschiebungen aus der EU nach Gambia zum Erliegen gebracht. Dieses Moratorium wurde nun von der gambischen Regierung wieder aufgehoben.

In the beginning of this year, following massive protests of the population in The Gambia itself against the increasingly violent and undignifying manner in which deportations e.g. from Germany were conducted, the Gambian government had ordered a moratorium on re-accepting deported persons from the EU, effectively stopping deportations from the EU to The Gambia at the time. This moratorium has now again been cancelled by the Gambian government.

What Gambian refugees in Germany can do now:

• First and foremost, be or become again aware of the current state of your asylum application and your current residential status in Germany!
  Depending on your individual situation, you may be in real danger to be deported from Germany soon, or you may be relatively safe at the moment. If you are unsure, get in contact with one of your local refugee support groups immediately, or ask a lawyer who is specialized in asylum and residential law to have your individual situation checked and to get assistance.
• Get your facts together!
  While it is totally understandable to fall for positive sounding rumours,to enjoy the bliss of ignorance or to hide your head within your own ass, pretending that you are invisible and hoping for the storm to pass, this is not going to help your cause in any way. You need to continuously stay informed on the ongoing public discussion about deportation politics, both in Germany and in your home country, because this, too, will help you in realistically assessing your own individual situation and maing your decisions.
• Question authority!
  In the past few months there has been lots of talk about so called reintegration programs, in which the German government would cooperate with partner organisations in The Gambia, promising to provide job training and opportunities for voluntarily returning Gambian nationals. As of now, these government programs and promises still need to stand the test of time, and the long-lasting effect of these programs is still unclear.
  Again, try to gather as much realistic(!) information as possible before you make up any decision. If possible, try to get in contact with friends or activists in The Gambia itself who are monitoring the situation, and try to find out if these programs and promises really do live up to the expectations!
• Discuss, organize, ACT!
  The massive anti-deportation protests by lots of Gambian people in Gambia itself in spring 2019 have been very effective. These protests resulted in a political decision where, for more than the past 6 months, not a single Gambian person could be deported from Germany back to The Gambia.
  This kind of political protest is possible, necessary and potentially effective here in Germany as well, in order to stop deportation politics. For this political protest to be effective, it is not only necessary that you discuss deportation issues with your friends or within your own community. It is also necessary to discuss, organize and act together with the many German „Right-to-stay“ activist groups.
  This fight no one of us needs to fight alone. The free and democratic basic order as established by the German constitution grants everyone the right to raise their voice and to peacefully rally and protest against political decisions in public – so let’s act together now, to stop the inhumane and unjust deportations to The Gambia and elsewhere!