By: Thaimu Bai Sesay
The Chief Immigration Officer (CIO) Hon. Alusine Kanneh has revealed that by the end of 2024, he would ensure that he decentralized the issuance of passport books as he assured that Kenema, Makeni and Bo would have centres processing and issuing passport books.
He said that would facilitate the processes and further reduce on the crowd coming to Freetown to obtain passport books.
The Chief Immigration Officer (CIO) Hon. Alusine Kanneh made the revelation on Tuesday 5th March 2024 at the Government press briefing. He went on to highlight the tremendous work he had embarked on in transforming the sector since he assumed office.
In his introductory statement Hon. Alusine Kanneh expressed that when he was appointed as Chief Immigration Officer, he harbored a very strong intention to transform the sector. As someone who pursued a career in immigration and had been working as an immigration officer internationally, he expressed his passion for the profession with firm commitment to further transforming the sector.
CIO Kanneh revealed that when he resumed office, he met a lot of challenges in the facility ranging from overcrowding of people due to slow processes, the issue of so many volunteer workers requesting more than the required amount from customers, the inconvenience of some crucial areas of the facility, amongst others. The Chief immigration Officer underscored how he was able to speed up the processes in which he said it is now possible for 20 people to be called at once.
He added that he had strategically eradicated the so many voluntary workers and rehabilitates some important part of the facility for the convenience of customers.
Elaborating on other issues that have to do with the security of the country’s passport books, he said he had upgraded the application process of the passport book in such a way that the National Identification Number (NIN) has now become compulsory for securing a passport book. He explained on the implications involved for a Non-Sierra Leone to obtain a passport book. “We also have to interview an applicant to ascertain whether the applicant is a Sierra Leonean,” he said.
CIO Kanneh digressed on the Migration Data Analysis System which he said had made it possible to track travellers exciting the doors of Sierra Leone. “If you now want to cross from Sierra Leone to Guinea right from my office I will know that you want to travel to Guinea. I have a system in my office that will track you,” Hon. Kanneh revealed.
On the journey to transform the sector, he recalled that he had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Immigration Department in Belgium. CIO Kanneh disclosed that the MOU has many good things for Sierra Leone, adding that Immigration is not just about issuing passport books. Under the MOU he said he had sent some workers for training to Belgium so that they would come and improve on the immigration systems of the country.
The Chief Immigration Officer Hon. Kanneh revealed that by the end of 2024 he would ensure that he decentralized the issuance of passport book as he assured that Kenema, Makeni and Bo would have centres processing and issuing passport books. He said that would facilitate the processes and further reduce on the crowd coming to Freetown to obtain passport book.
