By Fatou Sillah
The Public Relations Officer of the Gambia Immigration Department (GID), Siman Lowe, has disclosed that more than 45 staff members have been dismissed in recent years for misconduct and breaches of professional and ethical standards.
Speaking in an interview with Teledal TV, Lowe said the dismissals reflect the department’s ongoing efforts to enforce discipline, uphold its code of conduct, and strengthen professionalism across the immigration system.
“Over the course of the previous years, we have had more than 45 GID staff who have been dismissed,” he said, emphasizing that the actions demonstrate a zero-tolerance stance on unethical behavior.
He noted that the scale of the dismissals should serve as a warning to serving personnel. According to him, any staff found to be acting outside established regulations or engaging in unprofessional conduct risks similar consequences.
“If you are able to release 45 from your staff because they are not going in line with your code of conduct, they are not going in line with legislation that guides you as immigration staff, or they are not being professional in the work they do, then that serves as a signal to anybody within the system to know that the next one could be you if you are complicit in these kinds of activities,” he stated.
Addressing public concerns about allegations that non-Gambians are obtaining Gambian documents, Lowe cautioned against placing sole blame on immigration officers without examining the broader process.
“Today if you find a non-Gambian to be alleged to have a document for The Gambia, who do we first blame? Immigration officers, but do we question, or do we in fact know what stage the person has gone through before he or she got that document?” He said.
He highlighted the role of local verification systems, including attestations by community authorities such as Alkalos and chiefs, and questioned how individuals are introduced into these verification channels.
“Was his or her attestation signed by an Alkalo or a chief? Before the person goes to the Alkalo, who took him there? Was it a landlord? Was it somewhere where he stays, where he supports the family, and they have to now affirm that he or she is a Gambian?” he asked.
Lowe further disclosed that the department has implemented stricter controls in passport issuance to curb fraud and rebuild public confidence in national security institutions.
“We have very stringent measures to make sure that if you apply for a passport, it goes through a rigorous check before it is approved; the purpose of that is to reduce fraud in the system,” he said.
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