Gambiaj.com – (Zaragossza, Spain) – Spanish authorities have expelled a Gambian national (name withheld) with an extensive criminal record, including sexual assault, domestic violence, and robbery, following years of repeated arrests in Zaragoza.
The National Police carried out the expulsion on Tuesday, August 19, after the man was held at the Madrid Immigration Detention Centre (CIE). He was also subject to a ban on entering the Schengen Area, previously imposed by French authorities.
According to police sources, the individual had been detained around 30 times since December 2021 in Zaragoza.
His alleged crimes ranged from domestic violence, breach of restraining orders, burglary, and damage to property to assaulting police officers, robbery with violence, sexual assault, and ongoing judicial claims.
In 2023, Zaragoza’s Instruction Court No. 9 issued a restraining order barring him from approaching a family member and their home. Authorities report that he violated this order at least 24 times.
His repeated arrests prompted the Provincial Brigade of Immigration and Borders in Zaragoza to request his transfer to the Madrid CIE, where procedures for his expulsion were completed.
At the time of his deportation, he had 13 open judicial proceedings in different Zaragoza courts, all of which authorized his removal from Spain.
The expulsion comes at a time when Madrid is deepening cooperation with Banjul on migration management. Earlier this year, Spain and The Gambia signed a circular migration agreement aimed at providing legal pathways for Gambian workers to access the Spanish labor market, particularly in agriculture, while facilitating the return of nationals with criminal records or irregular status.
Spanish officials say such measures reflect a dual approach: offering safe and legal opportunities for Gambians seeking work abroad while ensuring decisive action against those who repeatedly break the law.
The Gambian government has welcomed the circular migration framework as a way to reduce irregular departures and strengthen bilateral ties, even as cases like this highlight the ongoing challenges of managing migration flows between West Africa and Europe.
