Sierra Leone, U.S. To Fast-Track Repatriation of Undocumented Nationals — Foreign Minister avers
By Kelvin Jay
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Timothy Kabba, has disclosed that the Government of Sierra Leone is working closely with the United States Government to identify undocumented Sierra Leonean immigrants residing in the U.S. and to expedite their deportation process.
Speaking on AVY TV, Minister Kabba stated that significant progress has been made in this regard, noting that the Sierra Leone Embassy in Washington, D.C. is fully cooperating with U.S. authorities to verify the identities of undocumented Sierra Leoneans.
He explained that the U.S. Government’s condition for Sierra Leone’s removal from the visa restrictions list is for the country to demonstrate full cooperation in facilitating the repatriation of its undocumented citizens. According to him, the government has been actively engaging with U.S. officials through a checklist of individuals sent for identification and verification.
Minister Kabba further stated that, although he did not have the exact figure of Sierra Leoneans currently awaiting deportation, “seamless progress” has been achieved. He revealed that both he and President Julius Maada Bio met with the U.S. Under Secretary for Political Affairs and other senior officials during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to discuss steps toward lifting the visa restrictions imposed on Sierra Leone.
Addressing separate reports, the Minister denied allegations linking the government to Abdullah Alp Ustun, a drug trafficking suspect reportedly arrested with a Sierra Leonean diplomatic passport in Turkey. He clarified that the government has not yet received any official correspondence from its diplomatic partners regarding the matter, which remains under review.
