MONROVIA – Liberia’s alien work permit regime has been embroiled in controversy, sparking heated debates and raising concerns about transparency and accountability. The Ministry of Labor has long faced allegations of backdating work permits for foreign workers, bypassing legal procedures, and undermining employment opportunities for Liberians. Amidst growing scrutiny, Senator Abraham Darius Dillon has called for a comprehensive audit of the country’s work permit system, citing potential systemic flaws and abuse. With over 20,000 work permits currently held by foreign workers, the controversy has sparked questions about national security, economic integrity, and workers’ rights. The Analyst reports.
Senator Abraham Darius Dillon has called on the Liberian Senate to authorize the General Auditing Commission (GAC) to conduct a comprehensive audit of the country’s alien work permit regime, citing concerns over transparency, compliance, and potential systemic flaws in the process.
In his communication to the plenary of the Liberian Senate, Senator Dillon emphasized the urgency of the audit, stating that it is critical to safeguarding the integrity of Liberia’s labor and immigration systems.
He argued that the exercise would benefit workers, employers, and the broader economy by identifying and addressing vulnerabilities that may undermine the rule of law and expose the system to abuse.
Senator Dillon’s request outlines a wide-ranging mandate for the GAC, which includes identifying flaws, vulnerabilities, and irregularities in the process of issuing, renewing, and revoking alien work permits, detecting potential gaps in internal controls, data integrity, and opportunities for fraud or corruption, and reconciling permit data with records from the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS), the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASCORP), and the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA).
Other information the senator seeks through his communication includes investigating violations of visa and labor regulations by foreign workers and recruitment agents, including unauthorized employment, contract breaches, and overstays, assessing employer compliance with legal requirements and record-keeping, as well as verifying the authenticity of work permits and applicant credentials, while evaluating the credentialing and renewal processes.
Dillon stressed the need for a reconciled, auditable dataset and the development of remediation measures. He also urged the inclusion of recommendations on improving data security and the protection of workers’ personal information.
“The integrity of our labor and immigration systems is a matter of national security and economic stability,” Senator Dillon stated. “We must ensure that foreign labor entering our country does so through legal, transparent, and enforceable means.”
He further noted that ensuring alignment between visa categories and labor protections, including wage and contract enforcement, is essential to upholding workers’ rights and protecting the domestic job market.
Meanwhile, the communication has been forwarded to the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, headed by Gbarpolu County Senator Amara M. Konneh, to report back to the plenary in two weeks.