Gambia Parliament Debates Plight of Stateless Residents in Ghana Town
Published: 9/Dec/2025
Source: The Voice (Banjul)
By: Fatou Krubally
The National Assembly on Monday held an intense debate after Hon. Alhagie Babou Ceesay, Member for Sabach Sanjal, raised a Matter of the Day drawing attention to the decades-long statelessness affecting residents of Ghana Town in Brufut.
Ceesay told lawmakers that although most residents were born and raised in The Gambia, they remain undocumented and lack formal recognition as citizens. He referred to a recent assessment by the Gambia Commission for Refugees (GCR), GAFNA, and the UNHCR Senegal Multi-Country Office, which found that 87 per cent of residents hold no foreign documentation and 98.9 per cent consider The Gambia their home.
He urged the government to regularise their status, noting that their lack of national documents denies them healthcare, education, and formal employment. “These individuals have contributed to our society. They deserve recognition as citizens,” he said.
Ceesay added that although Ghana Town—established in the 1950s by Ghanaian fishermen—has become a fully integrated community, its residents and their children continue to inherit statelessness under existing laws. He called for urgent reforms to align The Gambia’s citizenship legislation with international conventions the country has ratified.
Read further: https://www.voicegambia.com/2025/12/09/gambia-parliament-debates-plight-of-stateless-residents-in-ghana-town/