By: Fatou Krubally<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
He urged the government to regularise their status, noting that their lack of national documents denies them healthcare, education, and formal employment. \u201cThese individuals have contributed to our society. They deserve recognition as citizens,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Ceesay added that although Ghana Town\u2014established in the 1950s by Ghanaian fishermen\u2014has 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\u2019s citizenship legislation with international conventions the country has ratified.<\/p>\n