By Politico staff writer
Gloria Sheriff Doe, President of the Sierra Leone Community in Liberia has in an interview with Politico complained harassment and suppression of Sierra Leonean migrants living in Liberia for residential permit and other documents.
She said they are mostly arrested and detained except for the intervention of the community which she said is mostly costly to them. The cost of the residential permit in Liberia according to Mrs. Doe is 250 U.S dollars and 100 dollars renewal fees. This she said is difficult for many Sierra Leonean migrants living there which has resulted in regular embarrassment.
The issue have on the 11th of May 2021 engendered a discussion between the Sierra Leone government and the host country, Liberia.
At a meeting attended by Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to Liberia, Eddie S. Massally, the Deputy Ambassador Jonathan Saffa and the Head of Chancery Sia A. Tejan and Liberian security personnel including the Immigration Service, Ambassador Massallay expressed concern over the security and protection of Sierra Leoneans residing in Liberia.
He noted manner in which his citizens are being arrested and detained for documents including Residential and Work Permits, and raised concerns on how these issues could be addressed.
The Deputy Ambassador Jonathan Saffa said an online sales group calling itself QNET which has a branch in Sierra Leone, was the cause of the situation that most Sierra Leoneans in Liberia are faced with. He noted that the company has been defrauding Sierra Leoneans of thousands of dollars in the name of travelling abroad or on the pretense of giving them scholarship opportunities.
He said it was only upon arrival in Liberia that they realize that the company was not genuine and at that time they would been stranded and would then call on the embassy for support.
The Head of Chancery, Sia A. Tejan pleaded with the representative of the Monrovia City Council, to ask the Mayor to talk to the relevant authorities to grant Sierra Leoneans residing in Liberia the opportunity to take the covid-19 vaccine.
The Assistant Commissioner of Police, Amos A. Paypay confirmed that they have been receiving series of complaints from different nationalities including Guineans and Ivorians regarding the issue of QNET, and stated that they were working to bring the perpetrators to justice.
In his statement, the representative of the Liberian Immigration Services Varmah Teyah commended the embassy for expressing such concerns over the welfare of its Citizens. He added that they have been facing problems with a number of Sierra Leoneans resident in Liberia with no proper documentation. He asked the embassy to ensure that Sierra Leoneans regularize their stay in Liberia to avoid further embarrassment.
The Monrovia City Council representative at the meeting said Sierra Leone and Liberia share strong bilateral ties and promised to convey the message about the vaccine to Mayor Jefferson Koijee for action.
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