The Office of International Migration in collaboration with the government of Sierra Leona and the United Kingdom (UK) on the 24-25 September 2020 held a two day National Consultative Forum to validate Sierra Leone’s National Migration Policy at Golden Tulip Hotel, Aberdeen Freetown for the first time since independence in 1961.

Among the invited government contributors to discuss the structures and put validation policies in place for further consideration by Parliament of Sierra Leone for the good of Sierra Leoneans include Office of Interimmigration, Ministries of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Social Welfare, Internal Affairs and the Network of Ex-Asylum

Seekers (NEAS), a leading Civil Society organization working on the welfares of ex-asylum seekers.

In an interview with the National Coordinator of NEAS, Abdulai Daramy reiterated that he has been advocating for policies leading to legislation for migrants, returnees and deportees. He further expressed gratitude to all those who have participated to make the forum a reality. He said that the discussion amongst delegates was very educative and when legislated it will lead to a solution to the plight of migrants.

“ It was really pathetic for a country like ours to exist without laws bordering on migrations and other associated individuals who fall in the category of returnees and deportees” he stressed. According to him, he sees better opportunities like jobs creation for returnees and deportee by government run institutions like NACSA to invest in the area of agriculture and other social opportunities that may be available after the normalization of the outline policies to become law in the not too distant future.