Africa Business Radio

The AFP news agency reports that the Gambia has formally blocked flights bringing migrants deported from the European Union.Gambian foreign ministry spokesman Saikou Ceesay told AFP large numbers of returning migrants would cause social upheaval.AFP says the news came as Germany was preparing to expel a number of Gambians.The AFP says International Organization for Migration more than 35,000 arrived there between 2014 and 2018 - often taking dangerous journeys over the Mediterranean.The IOM says overseas remittances of an estimated 118,000 Gambians living abroad account for more than 20% of the country's GDP.