The National Coordinator of the Network of Ex-Asylum Seekers (NEAS) situated at No. 54 Wellington Street, Abdulai Daramy, has informed that government and relatives and friends that hundreds of Sierra Leoneans await deportation from Europe, the Middle East and USA.

Others, he said, are in detention camps awaiting their fate to be decided by authorities. They number more than 1,200. This, he said, poses a grave challenge for NEAS and other agencies working with the returnees.

As such, Mr. Daramy is calling on the government to take a more robust diplomatic stance to establish comprehensive legislation to empower the urgent protection and integration of the returnees into society through the provision of jobs, medical assurance, psychosocial assistance, sponsored programs for sensitization in communities as well as offer accommodation assistance.

In Kuwait, Mr. Daramy said, the Sierra Leone Ambassador has just ended a visit to detention camps to analyze the situation of male and female Sierra Leoneans awaiting deportation.

He lamented that, NEAS for seven years has been asking to be given official recognition by the government as an agency dealing with irregular migrants, refugees and returnees.

Government institutional body, he observed, are easy to engage in talks but extremely difficult to respond; always promising but never delivering the assistance they say they would give.

However, he concluded that, NEAS with its affiliates will not relent but will continue to engage with the appropriate authorities to show concern to the plight of returnees.