The Deputy Commissioner General for Administration of the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS), Moses K. Yebleh, was among Heads of Immigration who attended the 7th edition of the ECOWAS Heads of Immigration in Accra, Ghana, recently.
The just-ended meeting was chaired by the Head of Immigration from Guniea Bissau, and was Co-Chaired by the Director of Free Movement from ECOWAS, Albert Siaw-Boateng, along with Kwane Asuah Taky, Comptroller General of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS).
According to the LIS Deputy CG, during the meeting the Comptroller General of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) spoke on the introduction and implementation of ECO Visa as a means of opening the ECOWAS space to free movement.
He stated that Honorable Taky of the Ghana Immigration Service expressed his disappointment on how database and immigration laws of member states were at variant at the just-ended ECOWAS meeting.
The Deputy LIS boss also noted that the need for harmonized immigration laws and integrated policies to address trans-national crimes and terrorism in the region was highlighted.
He said the Director of Free Movement of the ECOWAS Commission, Boateng, thanked Heads of Immigration and their proxies for showing up. According to him, the ECOWAS Director of the Free Movement suggested to that body at the recent meeting frequent engagement amongst Heads of Immigration and the need to introduce ECO Visa as soon as possible.
Providing more information about the just-ended meeting, the LIS Deputy Commissioner General said the chaired of the meeting spoke about the tense situation within the Sahel Region. He said the meeting’s chairperson wants ECOWAS to do all it can to address the issue of terrorism, child labor and other cross border crimes.
The international meeting had only one agenda item: to review and validate policy document and recommendation from preceding experts’ meetings specifically geared toward the introduction of a Schengen type visa to be utilized by third country migrants for travels within the ECOWAS region.
