My name is Muhammed Sillah I am a Gambian by nationality, my family calls me Babuchineh but I am generally known as the tsunami political advocate, freedom fighter and human rights activist for my people. I am a politician professionally for the love of justice and transparency and I have been in this field since I started studying history and government back in high school in the early 2000’s.

I was raised in Gambia until my graduation from high school at 18 when I decided to further my studies in Canada at Mohawk College in Hamilton. Prior to my departure from Gambia I was always aware of the constant arrests and imprisonment of members of opposition parties, journalists and freedom fighters who have deemed the military coup leader of the Gambia illegitimate and not fit for leadership. Men and women of my native Country suffered many unjustifiable treatments from the government in result of their political opinion and publications. This has always motivated my interest in taking head on with the political climate of my country but my family stressed that I must stay put for there is an unbearable consequence even though I have always bullied that being silent was injustice would rather encourage injustice to tyranny in a nation.

When I secured the chance to leave my family in Canada for studies in Canada I felt safe from my families influence form preventing me in vouching my political opinions and concerns. As I settled for studies in Canada I began to examine and explore my ideas of political advocacy and to my surprise I found out numerous political advocates in the diaspora who are editors and proprietors of online media’s and blogs that are raising awareness of the injustice and illegitimacy of the Gambian government. By 2008 I have been a keen contributor on online radios, blogs, on Facebook groups that are defending the fundamental human rights of Gambians and calling out the freedom of political prisoners and lodging for justice for the missing and dead Gambian journalists and politicians. This has drawn enough attention of the supporters of the APRC government on me in hating me and wishing death on me and looking forward to seeing me to Gambian’s central prison upon my return because they have considered my opinions to be shaming the Gambian regime.

During this time of my online campaign, many others who have identified themselves as government officials have sent me to numerous death threats and also threatened to find me in Canada to make sure I am stopped forever being an advocate. I have always lived with this threat in Canada until 2011 when I claimed refugee for protection from my Country until my government is replaced. My claim was heard and accepted then rejected after 10 days with no reason to that. Being unable to hire a lawyer has resulted to my incapability of presenting my case appropriately before the IRB and the challenge the positive and negative decision I received from the IRB including false allegations against me about travelling to the U.S. which never happened or proven by CBSA and IRB. This has resulted to an attempt to my removal from Canada by CBSA who have seen, arrested and detained me under abusive conditions at the Toronto Immigration Holding Centre. My removal was stayed by the Federal Court of Canada based on the grounds of my inability to acquire counsel all through my claim and also based on the fact that I put forward a strong case without a chance for PRRA or approval from a deferral .

CBSA has become as rampant as ever in removing immigrants and refugees without assessing the risk they might face if returned to their countries. Immigrants and low risk failed refugee claimants are lured into acceptance a pilot program to leave Canada in exchange for up to $2,000 which I respectfully rejected because that funding would not do me any good in a central prison in Gambia.

Since my detention on the 29th of May to date, there has been hundreds of signatures on petitions by my supporters, Gambian politicians, journalists and individuals who genuinely believe in the credibility of my case and loved ones which have raised enough attention in and outside the Gambia. There are many interviews and radio shows about my case and has further angered the Gambia government for raising awareness of the malfunctioning regard for human rights and privileges of Gambians and all of this should impact the concern of my removal to the lion’s den by CBSA who appears to be willfully blind in my case.

I might be the only political asylum seeker in Canada as a Gambian but not the first in other parts of the world who have harbored Gambian political asylum seekers including the USA because of the deteriorating regard for human rights in the Gambia.

Canada is recognized by the international community as a protector of human rights and they have been in demonstration of such claim worldwide but Canada should not be blind to the refugee and asylum seeker that are right under their nose.  Going to wars to protect the rights of people and addressing to other nations are providing aid to people’s who’s human rights are stripped from them should start in Canada first before going abroad with such help. People who come to Canada need an assessment of their claim for vigilantly and more transparently while their rights are protected through this assessment.  Canada needs refugee camps and centres for refugee seekers while being assessed but not holding centres where they are treated miserable regardless of age, health and type of risk they might face at all.

-Muhammed Sillah