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Spain to Provide Technical Assistance to The Gambia

By Baboucarr Senghore & Fatou Sanneh

As part of proceedings of the current session of the National Assembly, Hon. Halifa Sallah’s question on Tuesday, 12th December 2006, on the nature of the agreement between The Gambia and Spanish governments regarding migration, prompted the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Bala Garba Jahumpa, to disclose that the migration agreement made provision for technical assistance through non-governmental organizations to support viable social and economic projects, in order to reintegrate the immigrants with a view to affording them a better option for sustained economic development.

“The general intent of the framework agreement is to regularise and prevent the perilous journey embarked upon by Gambian nationals to the Kingdom of Spain,” said the Foreign Affairs Secy.

According to Secy Bala Garba Jahumpa, the agreement further provides for a framework through the allocation of given visa quotas for Gambian nationals to travel legally to the Kingdom of Spain.

He said article 3 of the agreement also stipulates that contracting parties shall foster the legal employment of nationals of the parties within the framework of their respective needs and legal obligations.

Secy Garba Jahumpa added that the only cost or inducement envisaged by the government of The Gambia is their role in the facilitation and evaluation of projects to be implemented as proposed in the agreement.

“A national task force has been set up under the Department of State for the Interior to work out project proposals, as well as the provision of strategic recommendation for the proper implementation of the framework agreement,” he concluded.

It could be recalled that the governments of The Gambia and Spain signed an immigration agreement in October this year and the Spanish government pledged to give an amount of 5m euros to The Gambia.

Mr. Miguel Moratinos, the Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs who signed on behalf of his government, said that the 5 million euro aid is to finance micro-enterprise and micro projects geared towards encouraging Gambians to stay put in The Gambia, and not risk their lives in perilous endeavours to travel to Spain via the Canary Islands.

According to Mr. Moratinos, a new mechanism would be established to allow into Spain, through legal means, Gambians workers who want to contribute to the economic development of his country.