By Mohamed Kamara
Civil Society Activist Mr. Sulaiman Santos Kamara has questioned the role of the International Office of Migration (IOM) in the United States deportation exercise for West African citizens, noting that the assigned Mandate of IOM is limited to ensure that migrants in other countries who voluntarily showed up for assistance to return to their own Countries of Origin either for political unrest, war in host countries or for personal reasons be it Economic, immigration fears, unemployment and poor Health etc.
Mr. Santos said on several occasions, the IOM has distanced its responsibility to deportees based on the principles of its mandate. He said when the US government negotiated with the Sierra Leone government for the deportation of West African nations to Sierra Leone, the consideration was not only focused on further assistance to return to their home countries but equally so to benefit from counselling, temporary accommodation, food and other social services.
He said the US government never imposed the participation of a locally based organization with expertise on deportees’ cases. He said if even they had suggested the inclusion of IOM, the local authorities would have refused and would have told the US government that there is Organization in the name of the Network of Ex-Asylum Seekers (NEAS) which has been active since 2009 to take care of deportees upon arrival. Mr. Santos said NEAS is a legally registered organization and has held talks with officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Parliament, Ministry of Social Welfare, Immigration and the Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone, which continue to morally support and frequently hold dialogue in its monthly grand meeting presented by Officers from Foreign Affairs, UN, Immigration and the Police Complaint Board and the Irish Embassy in Sierra Leone.
He noted that despite the fact that deportees are given financial and medical support from the German-based Medical International since its establishment, through NEAS from its Advocacy budget. It does assist deportees with food, accommodation, health, finance and stigmatization counselling. He said the local authorities from one government to the other have evidence of NEAS activities.
He maintained upon arrival at the Freetown International Airport, the Immigration Officials deployed in Lungi contacts NEAS for their humanitarian intervention including the Trans Crime Unit (TOCU) in Hastings. Santos alleged that funding from Western donors goes back to them through the inclusion of Western Based Organizations NGOs.
He said for example, IOM assisted stranded Sierra Leoneans in Lebanon, Mauritania, Niger Republic, and Mali to return home. He said they were never deported by the host government which would have footed the financial cost.
