Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – The circular migration scheme between The Gambia and Spain will proceed with a new cohort of seasonal workers in November, despite concerns raised after dozens of Gambian participants from the first batch failed to return home at the end of their contracts.
Launched as a pilot project, the initiative provides legal pathways for Gambians to work temporarily in Spain’s agricultural sector while discouraging irregular migration.
The program mirrors similar arrangements Spain has successfully implemented with other countries and could be expanded further if proven effective.
However, a group of 33 Gambian workers fled at the end of their employment contracts and have still not returned to Banjul. Their visas and work permits have already been revoked.
Madrid had given them until Monday, October 6, to return to their countries “or face total exclusion from the program.”
The government of The Gambia has reached out to Spanish authorities, requesting an additional month of stay for the 33 workers who have absconded. The government plans to utilize this time to send a delegation to Spain for direct discussions with Spanish officials.
The primary objective is to negotiate the safe return of these workers to The Gambia, which is essential for safeguarding future opportunities for others in similar circumstances. This initiative aims to maintain The Gambia’s credibility in international labor migration partnerships.
Recently, the Spanish Embassy in Banjul warned that the 33 Gambians who refused to return in line with the agreement, did so in a breach that threatens the credibility of the scheme.
“All participants must return to The Gambia without delay, which will allow them to continue being part of the program and work in Spain next year,” the embassy said in unusually blunt terms. “Those who fail to respect this commitment will be automatically excluded from the program.”
Officials cautioned that such non-compliance by individuals risks undermining the bilateral agreement, potentially depriving many Gambians of future opportunities to work legally in Europe.
Still, Spanish and Gambian authorities confirmed the scheme will continue. A new group of 100 seasonal workers from The Gambia and Mauritania is scheduled to arrive in Spain in November, joining the agricultural campaign in Huelva. For the next season, workers from Paraguay will also be recruited under the same framework.
The program is being extended beyond The Gambia, with 150 Senegalese workers already arriving in Spain this week to participate in the strawberry harvest. “I am very, very happy about this opportunity,” said Seyni Sylla, one of the Senegalese recruits. “I have my friends here who are here to work. I want this job to help all the people who are here.”
According to Spanish farm unions, the contribution of migrant workers remains vital to the economy of Huelva, where millions of plants are cultivated daily. Last year alone, €90 million was remitted by seasonal workers to their home countries.
Authorities in both Spain and The Gambia stress that compliance with return commitments is an indispensable requirement for sustaining the program, warning that disorderly participation risks cutting off a rare channel of safe, legal migration for thousands of Gambians.
