Liberia: House Probes Influx of Illegal Immigrants

19 July 2024
The New Dawn (Monrovia)

The House of Representatives has instructed its Internal Affairs, National Security, and Judiciary committees to probe allegations of illegal immigration into Liberia.

During Thursday's regular session of the House of Representatives, Plenary took the decision following a communication from Rep. Anthony F. Williams of Maryland Country District # 2.

According to Rep. Williams, he wants the Plenary to invite heads of the Liberia Refugee, Repatriation and Resettlement Commission (LRRRC), the Ministry of Justice, the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS), the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the National Security Advisor to the President to provide strategic plans how to curbing influx of illegal immigrants especially (Burkinabes) in the county and the entire southeast.

"I got greatly concerned while touring the southeastern region of Liberia, as co-chairman on the House's Committee on Refugee and Repatriation along with the chairperson when citizens within that region complained about the increasing wave of illegal immigrants (Burkinabes)." Rep. Brown states in his letter.

He said such a situation has the propensity to derail the country's peace, stressing that illegal entry challenges border security, making it difficult to monitor and regulate movements.

Rep. Williams also noted that inadequate border control can lead to vulnerabilities, such as smuggling of contraband (drugs, weapons, etc.) and human trafficking.

"Honorable Speaker and esteemed colleagues, the presence of Burkinabes in our country has been a pressing issue for the past years, thus posing security threats. We have to take this matter seriously because it is similar to the beginning of the crisis in Mali today."

Citizens are accusing illegal immigrants of encroaching on farmland and settling in forest areas along the Ivorian-Liberian border, according to the lawmaker's communication.

Following reading the letter and floor debate on the subject, the Plenary forwarded the matter to its Committees on Internal Affairs, Judiciary, and National Security to investigate and report within two weeks. Editing by Jonathan Browne

Read the original article on New Dawn.

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