By Amadou Jadama
Senior magistrate, Sainey Joof of the Brikama court has ordered that sixty-seven foreign nationals be deported to their countries of origin after they were found guilty of entering The Gambia without permit.
They included 62 Guineans, 4 Ivorians and a Malian.
They were found guilty on a single count of entering the Gambia without pass or permit contrary to section 6 (2 ) of the Immigration Act.
Police prosecuting officer, Sergeant O. Touray told the court that the incident happened on 15 March, 2021 at Tanji in West Coast Region, while the joint security forces were on patrol within the mentioned areas.
“They came across these non-Gambians and handed them over to the immigration officers in Tanji for further investigation and during the course of the investigation, all of them confessed that they are all living in The Gambia without permit,” Touray told the court.
“We are applying under section 16 of the Immigration Act for the convicts to be deported to their countries of origin,” the police prosecutor begged the court.
Presiding magistrate Sainey Joof granted the application and ordered that all the convicts be deported through the Gambia Immigration Department, except one of them, Musa Keita who said he is married with two wives. Therefore, he was sentenced to pay a fine of D1000 dalasi and ordered to regularise his residential permit within one month.
All 67 pleaded for the court to have mercy arguing that if allowed to stay in the country, they would pay their permits.
