Volunteers Asked Out of Immigration

By Mohamed Sankoh

The Chief Immigration Officer CIO, Hon. Alusine Kanneh has said that following his appointment he has asked out all volunteers, illegal market women and business people who had been processing applications for passports in the Immigration Department.

Hon. Kanneh made this disclosure on the Gud- Morning Salone Program 98.1 FM on Thursday 1st February 2024.

He said Immigration Office is an important institution which has to be decongested to ensure easy to collect passport or residential permits.

According to him, the number of volunteers was more than the permanent staff before he assumed office.

The CIO said the institution under his leadership put strict measures and structures to ensure an easy issuance of passports, residential permits to foreign nationals and other travelling documents.

Hon. Kanneh said over the years there had been series of concerns raised by citizens ranging from overcrowding of the Immigration Department to illegal volunteers.

As an expert in Immigration he said he was swift to identify the challenges and proffer solutions to sanitize the institution.

The determined CIO said he has contacted the Human Resource Management Office to recruit over hundred volunteers and there are 37 vacancies that would be advertise in a bid to fill several vacancies in the institution.

Hon. Kanneh registered commitment to bring a facelift in the Immigration Department that will be attractive to all with the ultimate aim to construct an Immigration House and decentralized passport issuance both international and nationally within Bo, Kenema and Makeni.

He concluded by assuring all that the concerns raised by citizens over the passport cost will be properly looked into and there would be a positive outcome after discussing with the contractors.

He said his leadership has also reduced the illegal activities of processing passports by certain people, Hon. Kanneh explained.