Apparently, they are doing everything they can to derail the legal temporary migration agreement between their country and Spain. The 33 Gambian workers who fled at the end of their employment contracts in the Iberian nation have still not returned to Banjul.

Madrid had given them until yesterday, Monday, October 6, to return to their countries "or face total exclusion from the program." Their visas and work permits have already been revoked.

"If they don't come back, they not only destroy their own chances..."

Banjul is deeply troubled by this incident. In late September, while visiting parliament, Gambian Trade and Employment Minister Baboucar Joof made it clear that he feared his compatriots' misconduct could undermine the agreement.

"If they don't come back, they will destroy not only their own chances, but also those of others," he said.

According to information reported by "The Point," the Gambian government recently wrote to the Spanish authorities asking them to grant these fleeing workers another month of stay. Banjul intends to use these four weeks to send a delegation to Spain to engage in direct discussions with Spanish officials.

Maintaining Gambia's credibility in international migration partnerships...

The aim is to negotiate the proper return of these 33 workers to The Gambia, in order to guarantee future prospects for others who could benefit from this program. This is a way of preserving The Gambia's credibility in international partnerships on labor migration.

According to Minister Joof, the Gambian delegation traveling to Madrid is expected to engage in discussions not only on the immediate return of the 33 workers, but also on strengthening the cooperation framework to prevent similar incidents in future labor mobility programs.

It should be remembered that the agreement signed between Banjul and Madrid in early January is "legally non-binding" and aims to establish a framework that will allow Gambian citizens to travel to take up fixed-term jobs in Spain and return to the country once their employment contract expires.