Gambian consular cards do not grant residency in Morocco
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Kerr Fatou
Gambian diplomat Saikou Marong has reminded people that consular cards issued by the embassy in Rabat grant neither residency rights nor protection from arrest in Morocco. He urged Gambian nationals to register with the mission, according to Kerr Fatou’s Grand Bantaba programme.
Consular identification cards issued by the Gambian embassy in Morocco do not grant the right to stay or protection from arrest, Saikou Marong, first secretary of the Gambian mission in Rabat, has warned. The cards only attest to their holders’ Gambian identity and do not replace either a passport or a Moroccan residence permit, he said on Kerr Fatou’s weekly programme The Grand Bantaba.
Saikou Marong said difficulties related to identity documents were the main issue raised with the embassy by Gambians living in Rabat, Casablanca and other Moroccan cities. He encouraged these nationals to register with the diplomatic mission to facilitate their identification and access to consular assistance.
The diplomat cited the case of a Gambian who died in Morocco without an official identity document, a situation that notably complicated access to healthcare and assistance procedures. Issues related to students’ residency are generally easier to deal with thanks to established procedures, he added, explaining that he oversees their care at the embassy.
