The Liberia Immigration Service (LIS) has started a nationwide alien sensitization campaign aimed at educating foreign nationals on a planned inspection exercise of resident permits and other related documents of foreign residents in the country.
Speaking during a recent acquaintance meeting with representatives and governors of aliens communities across Liberia, LIS Deputy Commissioner for Naturalization Asatu Bah Kenneth stated that the Naturalization Department has realized that most aliens are residing in the country illegally, prompting the vigorous inspection to remedy the situation.
Kenneth disclosed that the meeting was intended to inform heads of alien communities in Liberia about the upcoming inspection so that they can translate the message to their constituents to prepare for the exercise.
“This meeting is not intended to intimidate or arrest you but rather to find a way on how we can work together in addressing the numerous challenges we are faced with as partners,” Kenneth said.
She added that the Alien Sensitization Campaign is also intended to encourage aliens who are residing illegally in the country to validate their documents in line with LIS regulations to ensure that it is the authentic document they possess.
The LIS Deputy Commissioner indicated that the validation process began back in 2014, pointing out that the validation process was deemed necessary because most of the aliens obtained resident permit and citizenship illegally.
Kenneth encouraged aliens to also regularize the status of their wives as the status of the husband does not extend to the wife.
She added: “If you refuse to cooperate, we will go into your homes and arrest your wives when we start to enforce the law.”
Kenneth noted that the information for the validation of documents should claim the attention of individuals that obtained their documents from 2000- 2005, adding that aliens bearing documents with the signature of the former Clerk at the Naturalization Court, Steven Toe, should be validated
For his part, the Representative of the Senegalese Community in Liberia, Mahck Samb lauded the Commissioner for the initiative which, according to him, is the first of its kind.
He promised that members of his community will collaborate with the LIS to enable the bureau achieve its objectives.
