By Donstance Koroma
Head of International Organization for Migration Sierra Leone, Christos Christodoulides during the signing of an MoU between the International Organization for Migration ( IOM) and the Immigration Department hailed the Chief Immigration Officer, Hon.Alusine Kanneh for providing quality leadership since his appointment in August 2023.
He continued that the MoU happened to be the first between the two institutions since the IOM has been in the country.
He stated that the Immigration Department is a key government counterpart working on migration management and that IOM has been longing to solifying and enforce their on going partnership.
Christosdoulides added the idea of the MoU is to work on border management and volunteering return operation management initiative as per the national policy set in 2022.
” IMO is committed to the principles that humane and orderly migration benefit migrants and society, act to assist in meeting the operational challenges of advance understanding of migration” he said.
Speaking after the signing of the MoU, Chief Immigration Officer, Hon. Alusine Kanneh expressed gratitude to IOM for their support given to his office as the signing of the MoU will strengthen border management, immigration policies, information collection sharing between the two institutions to enhance effective collaboration to do the right thing when there’s is an issue about nationalities outside Sierra Leone that are to be repatriated.
” The MoU is about collecting the right information when it reaches us, we need to act on it quickly. It is also about upholding the human dignity and wellbeing of migrants” CIO noted.
The MoU, he continued between the two institutions is to achieve greater border security management and enhance migration facilitation on the country’s border and it’s immigrants.
Hon.Kanneh revealed that the Sierra Leone Immigration Department (SLID) collaboration with development partners to increase efficiency for both partners and State with in their respective mandate.
Subject to available resources, SLID and IOM shall act in close collaboration and uphold consultation on all matters of common interest, he assured.
