BIN warns against illegal entry

The Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization or BIN has warned here that illegal entry into Liberia is not tolerated and anyone caught by-passing official border points will be arrested and penalized.

The BIN observed that aliens are entering the country without proper traveling documents.

 Addressing a daily press briefing on Tuesday, March 3, 2015 at the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism on Capitol Hill, the Deputy BIN Commissioner for Administration, Peter Zaizay, said the entire country has been partitioned into five zones for effective monitoring purposes.

Commissioner Zaizay said the exercise is intended to be able to identify anyone, who tries to do illegal entry into Liberia, disclosing that there are 176 border potholes in the entire country with 47 crossing points.

He pointed out that the mean focus of the BIN is to monitor every border point and check point to ensure that Liberia is free from border conflict.

The Deputy BIN boss detailed that Liberia has 176 borders, with 47 crossing points at land and four crossing points at sea, which include Freeport, Buchannan Port, Greenville Port, and the Port of Harper, respectively. He said any other crossing points besides these are illegal.

Commissioner Zaizay said the Bureau has begun confidence building meeting with its counterparts along the Liberia-Sierra Leone borders to share vital information on the prevention of infectious diseases and security activities to strengthen capacities, saying, “This was also intended for the BIN to examine itself and derive strategies that will make the BIN more effective and efficient.”

He said as Liberia awaits the departure of UNMIL, much will be expected of the BIN and other security apparatus to protect the post-conflict nation and its people.

He said a recent retreat organized by the Bureau was intended to identify challenges and gaps in order to strategize how to make the BIN performs its duty with credibility, integrity and professionalism.

The Deputy BIN boss narrated that immigration personnel are charged with the responsibility to execute their duty in the interest of the State and its people.

Zaizay finally disclosed that efforts are underway to revamp the BIN training academies in all 15 counties to train qualified officers, who will be deployed at various borders and checkpoints.

By Lewis S. Teh