A campaign has been launched to halt the deportation of a Gambian DJ who has lived in Malta for 18 years, with organisations and prominent figures calling on the government to allow him to regularise his status.
Yusupha Dibassey, better known as DJ Dollarino, was detained on 10 August after reporting to the authorities to renew documents which had allowed him to remain and work in Malta.
Dance Beyond Borders Foundation said Dibassey had held what is commonly known as a Yellow Book, issued to rejected asylum seekers, with his documentation renewed roughly every three months. It estimates that his status was renewed around 70 times over 18 years.
He is now being asked to accept voluntary return to The Gambia, which he has so far declined.
The appeal, led by Dance Beyond Borders, has been endorsed by former president Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, NGOs and people from Malta’s cultural sector who have worked with Dibassey.
In an open letter to Equality and Civil Rights Minister Rosianne Cutajar and Home Affairs and Security Minister Glenn Bedingfield, Dance Beyond Borders said Dibassey arrived in Malta in 2008 aged 23 and had since built his life around his friendships, work and involvement in the music scene.
The foundation has known him for six years through Refugee Week Malta, where he has performed as a DJ every year and served on its advisory group for the past two years.
It said his 18 years in Malta included deep community ties, particularly through the music scene and communities in Msida and Gżira.
The foundation argued that although Dibassey knew his status was temporary, the State repeatedly allowed him to remain and work, enabling him to establish roots in Malta.
It is asking the government to review whether discretion can be exercised in his case, clarify any remaining avenues of appeal and reconsideration, and give him an opportunity to regularise his status.
The organisation also invoked Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, arguing that his length of residence, integration and personal ties should be taken into account.
The case is reminiscent of that of Kusi Dismark, an Ethiopian barber who was deported from Malta in 2024 after living here for 13 years.
Dismark, who was 37, was arrested at his Ħamrun barber shop before being detained and eventually sent back to Ethiopia.
Dance Beyond Borders is calling for Dibassey’s removal to be halted while his circumstances and remaining legal remedies are considered.