Forgotten Behind Bars: Stranded Gambian Migrants Cry Out From Turkish Prisons

Written by: Dawda Baldeh

More than 200 Gambian migrants are reportedly being held in prisons and detention centres in Turkey after being arrested while attempting to cross into Greece through irregular migration routes, according to several Gambians who said they were previously detained in the country.

Speaking to this medium via WhatsApp, the former detainees described spending months behind bars under harsh conditions, with limited communication with their families. They also alleged they were treated differently from migrants from some other African countries.

One former detainee, who requested anonymity, said he spent eight months in a Turkish prison after being arrested while attempting to cross into Greece.

“There are many Gambians still in prison,” he said. “If a Gambian is arrested, they can spend eight months or even a year in detention before being released.”

He alleged that migrants from countries including Senegal, Sierra Leone, Chad and Sudan are often released much sooner because, according to him, their governments engage with Turkish authorities to facilitate their return.

The former detainee also claimed Gambian prisoners had sought assistance from The Gambia’s ambassador in Turkey but were disappointed with the response they received.

Another former detainee, Amie Secka, said she also spent eight months in detention after travelling to Turkey.

According to Secka, she travelled legally after her husband, who lives in Germany, obtained a visa for her. However, she alleged that after arriving in Turkey, an agent persuaded her to attempt the dangerous sea crossing into Greece.

“My husband never told me I would be travelling by sea,” she said. “After we entered the water, the Turkish navy intercepted us and took us to prison.”

Secka alleged that detainees were unable to contact their families for several months because their mobile phones were confiscated.

“When they arrest you, whether at sea or on the streets, they take your phone and you cannot communicate with your family until you are released,” she claimed.

She further alleged that many Gambian detainees, including women and sick prisoners, were not receiving adequate care.

Secka appealed to the Gambian government to engage Turkish authorities to improve the treatment of Gambian migrants in detention.

“We are asking our government to speak with Turkey so that our young people are not kept in prison for such long periods,” she said.

Another former detainee, Mustapha Touray, expressed disappointment over what he described as the lack of support from Gambian officials in Turkey.

Touray also made serious allegations about conditions inside detention facilities, including claims about the food served to prisoners.

He further argued that while Turkish nationals enjoy business opportunities in The Gambia, Gambian migrants in Turkey face harsh treatment.

Former detainee Fatou Cessay said migrants are sometimes arrested during police operations in residential areas, not only while attempting sea crossings.

Cessay, who said she has lived in Turkey for four years, described the hardships she experienced there as the most difficult period of her life.

“I have been imprisoned twice,” she said. “But despite everything, I still hope to reach Greece.”

Another Gambian, Momodou Bah, alleged that prolonged detention has had severe psychological and social consequences for some migrants.

Several of the interviewees called on the Gambian government to strengthen diplomatic engagement with Turkey and provide greater consular support for Gambian nationals in detention.

The allegations made by the former detainees have not been independently verified.