Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – Reports have emerged detailing how Russia is actively recruiting African migrants, including Gambians, to fight in its ongoing war against Ukraine. According to The Insider, an investigative media outlet cited by The Standard Newspaper, migrants arriving in Russia with aspirations for better lives are often misled, pressured, and even blackmailed into joining the Russian military as it seeks reinforcements for the battlefield.

In one notable case, Lamin Jatta from The Gambia became a tragic symbol of this recruitment strategy. Lamin initially arrived in Belarus on a student visa in 2023, hoping to reach Western Europe for work opportunities.

However, after his plans fell through, he moved to Russia for work but soon found himself facing a stark choice: deportation to The Gambia or enlisting to fight for Russia in Ukraine.

Lamin opted to enlist with the Russian Defense Ministry, and by August 2024, his family was notified of his death on the frontlines in Ukraine. His story highlights the high stakes and limited choices faced by many African migrants caught up in these recruitment efforts.

The Russian government has formalized this process through a decree signed by President Vladimir Putin in early 2024, which promises Russian citizenship to foreign fighters who sign military contracts for at least one year.

Data from the Russian Interior Ministry shows that more than 3,300 foreign nationals who joined the war against Ukraine have been granted Russian citizenship so far this year. However, despite these offers, foreign recruits appear to be used in smaller, often high-risk roles rather than forming significant fighting forces on the frontlines.

The Insider reported that many of these migrants, particularly from African countries labeled as “friendly” or “neutral,” are depicted in Russian media as enthusiastic “volunteers” eager to support Russia’s cause.

Recruitment tactics reportedly extend beyond Gambians to migrants from other African countries, including Sierra Leone. One such individual, Richard from Sierra Leone, left his country in search of work to support his family but ended up coerced into military service. Speaking to journalists, he shared his regret at how circumstances drove him to enlist in an effort to provide a better life for his children back home.

The Insider’s investigation shines a light on the challenges and vulnerabilities facing African migrants in Russia, who are lured by promises of citizenship or are given no choice but to join a foreign conflict.

For many families back home, like Lamin Jatta’s, these offers come at an irreversible cost, raising concerns over the exploitation of African migrants in a war they never intended to be part of.