Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, has requested the General Auditing Commission (GAC) to conduct a comprehensive, independent audit of Liberia's alien work permit regime. The move, he said, aims to strengthen integrity, transparency, and compliance across the nation's labor and immigration systems.
In a formal communication to the Senate plenary on Tuesday, October 21, Sen. Dillon urged his colleagues to endorse his proposal, emphasizing that the audit would help identify and address weaknesses undermining the rule of law and workers' rights.
"I believe this exercise will be in the best interest of workers, employers, and the broader economy," he said.
He explained that the audit should examine every stage of the process, from issuance and renewal to revocation of alien work permits, and identify potential flaws, irregularities, or corruption risks.
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"The audit will detect gaps in controls, data integrity issues, and potential avenues for fraud or corruption," Dillon stressed. "It should review enforcement mechanisms, penalties, waivers, and reconcile records with the LIS, NASCORP, and LRA."
According to Dillon, the audit must cross-check data among key institutions, including the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS), the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASCORP), and the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) to identify discrepancies in worker status, permit expirations, and employer compliance.
He said the goal is to produce a reconciled, verifiable dataset that clearly traces each work permit issued and ensures that all related actions are transparent and auditable.
"This initiative will help verify authenticity and validity of alien workers' credentials and permits, assess compliance by employers, and recommend improvements to credential management, data security, and privacy protections," Dillon noted.
Sen. Dillon also emphasized the audit's role in addressing national security and economic integrity concerns, particularly by investigating visa violations, unauthorized employment, or fraudulent recruitment practices.
"It will assess the alignment between entry visas and the stated work permit regime, including any off-label or unauthorized pathways," he said. "The audit should also determine how visa categories interact with labor protections, wage standards, and contract enforcement."
Dillon added that ensuring applicants meet all requirements, including valid residence permits, would help close loopholes and prevent abuses in Liberia's labor and immigration systems.
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"Given the importance of these issues for national security, economic integrity, and workers' rights, we respectfully request that the GAC be commissioned to initiate a timely, thorough, and independent audit," Dillon appealed. "The findings and recommendations should be presented to plenary with a detailed action plan and clear implementation timelines."
The Montserrado County Senator expressed optimism that the Senate's endorsement would allow the GAC to act swiftly and with professionalism in addressing systemic gaps.
Following deliberations, the Senate plenary forwarded Dillon's communication to the Committee on Public Accounts and Audits (PAC), chaired by Gbarpolu County Senator Amara Konneh, with a two-week mandate to report findings and recommendations.
The decision followed a motion by Bomi County Senator Edwin Melvin Snowe, signaling the Senate's acknowledgment of the issue's importance to Liberia's governance, labor standards, and immigration integrity.
