By Aminata Kuyateh
The Association of Gambian Students in China (GSIC), the body looking after the welfare of ‘government-sponsored students’ studying in China, has warned that its members face possible termination of their studies and deportation because of tuition fees owed.
In a statement shared with the media, the body said several affected students have received final notices from their universities, some with deadlines as early as January 10, 2026.
According to the association, the situation has reached a critical stage, leaving students anxious and uncertain about their academic and immigration status.
The association lamented that it has not received any tangible action from both the authorities in Banjul or the Gambian Embassy in Beijing, despite follow up emails and phone calls.
But according to the minister of higher education, the unfolding crisis comes against the backdrop of a separate but related dispute involving 14 Gambian students in China who were not originally sponsored by the government’.
“Gambian students in China fall into two categories; those formally selected by the government and placed under Chinese government scholarships, fully funded by China, and those who travelled independently and later sought state assistance after encountering financial difficulties,” Professor Pierre Gomez, the minister of higher education, said.
He further explained that the latter group, consisting of 14 privately sponsored students, was never interviewed or selected by the government and therefore fell outside its formal responsibility. “However, after sustained appeals from the Gambian Embassy in Beijing, the government agreed to intervene on humanitarian grounds in 2023 and a total of D5,349,816 in public funds has been spent to support these students up to the 2024–2025 academic year,” the minister said.
The only outstanding period, according to the minister, is the 2025–2026 academic year. He said payment has not been made because funds under the new national budget, though approved by the National Assembly, have not yet been released through formal allocations and warrants from the Ministry of Finance.
The minister maintained that his ministry does not control funds directly and cannot make payments without the required financial authorisation.
He expressed frustration that the students have publicly complained to media outlets without acknowledging that they travelled independently, and the government had no contractual obligation to them.
“Extending unlimited support to privately funded students abroad would place an unsustainable burden on taxpayers, coupled with funding of other strategic programmes, including PhD training for Gambian university lecturers abroad, costing millions of dalasis annually,” the minister lamented.
