By Binta Jaiteh
Honorable Allagie Mbow, National Assembly Member for Upper Saloum has on Wednesday raised an eyebrow over Gambians traveling to Senegal that are often asked to pay D50 for a laissez-passer at various borders even with an identity card or photocopy of their National Identity Card.
He asked the Minister how much has immigration generated in the past five years from these payments.
He revealed this during questions for oral answers on standing orders 36 & 41 with Ministers. The member told the Ministerthat this is actually contrary to what is happening, that they are charging a fee and he has evidence from an electorate and also he witnessed being charged.
According to him, the member had to call the director general of immigration to report on this issue and demand a stop as possible. He urged the Minister to inform the members of what they will do to ensure that this act stops. Noting that, there is a charge according to the financial regulations 2016 which stated that they need to be issued with a receipt.
He further questioned the Minister of Interior as to when will they ensure that the immigration officers across the country stop charging for a laissez-passer or if they have to, a receipt should be issued to the people paying.
Seyaka Sonko, Minister of Interior informed the lawmakers that no fund has been generated since laissez-passer is a legal instrument issued on gratis by the Gambia Immigration Department for people traveling without a valid traveling document as provided by section 7a and b immigration 1602.
Therefore, in view of this, national security immigration border officers at entry and exit points are using this as a means to control and monitor the movement of people within the entry and exit points.
He noted that the alleged D50 charged by some immigration officers at border entry is unlawful the Ministry of the Interior will continue to monitor the situation to ascertain this allegation. He assured that if anyone is found wanting the individual will face the full force of the law.
Honorable Lamin Ceesay member of Kiang West also intervened that if the Minister is ready to make a press release to inform the authorities doing this practice to immediately stop this because it is not correct.
Honorable Almamy Gibba, a member of Foni Kansala also made a point on the issue about what the Ministry of Interior is doing to erase some of these malpractices.
Honorable Suwaibou Touray asked if the Ministry is ready for a pronouncement on this issue as they are all aware of the payment without a receipt to clarify to the Gambians that this is illegal.
Honorable Fatoumata Njie, Member for Banjul South said the Minister responded that this issue is illegal. But she asked him if he is telling them that these immigration people are stealing the money paid because he denied the fact that they didn’t generate any funds.
The member further demanded the Minister to furnish the assembly on the whereabouts of the money but the deputy speaker acting on behalf of the speaker ruled out the question because one of the members from Foni Bintang Karanai raised a point of order 38C which states that a question shall not contain arguments, interference, opinion, imputation, epithets, tendentious, ironical, offensive expressions or hypothetical matters and the substantive question was the issue of the laissez-passer he, therefore, ruled the questions out.
