By Olimatou Coker
The Gambia Immigration Department has said the issuance of passports is not affected by the temporary halt in the operations of biometric company Semlex, adding that passports are still being processed for genuine applicants.
Muhammad Bah, the deputy public relations of the Gambia Immigration Department, said the rumors about passports not being issued are not accurate.
“The Semlex contracts affected identity cards, residential permits, non-Gambian identity cards, and alien card.
As the institution responsible for the issuance of these documents, we seek the cooperation of the people who may need these services and we will continue to inform you on the development of these documents,” Bah said.
He also said the enforcement of the Immigration Act on alien registration, which requires raids on non-Gambians to regularise their status, is also on hold until the issuance of the documents resumes for financial transparency. “Since payments for the affected documents are done at the bank, and with production now on hold, the GID is also considering holding that enforcement though the joint night patrol is still effective for national security,” he said.
