RE: Dr John Kabia's article :"Sierra Leone should stop Scapegoating Foreigners"
Tondoneh Aiah (RWR) Herts Partnership FT
Dear Editor,
I am gravely concern about Dr John Kabia’s Opinion he expressed in his article on 21st June 2008 “Sierra Leone Should Stop Scapegoating Foreigners” in your Standard Time online newspaper [http://standardtimespress.net/cgi-bin/artman/publish/article_3061.shtml]
I am disappointed in “Dr Kabia”, because firstly if he lives in the United Kingdom he should have dreamt of what is called “illegal immigrant” during he stay in the UK. He should know as many Sierra Leoneans in the UK that immigration is a big national and political issue in UK and as well as in main Land Europe. In Britain for example, unemployment, crime, money laundry, inadequate social housing is all attributed to the presence of migrants and illegal immigrants in the country. That’s why we have “stop and search” in UK. As we speak, there are has been many raids to various work places in Britain in search of illegal immigrant. “Under a new system of civil penalties, employers in UK, who negligently hire illegal workers face a maximum fine of £10,000 for each illegal worker found at a business. If employers are found to have knowingly hired illegal workers they could incur an unlimited fine and be sent to prison. The measures, which are part of a comprehensive programme to reform Britain's immigration controls, make it easier for employers to carry out checks and for the Border and Immigration Agency (BIA) to deal with non-compliance”. Immigration Minister Liam Byrne told the BBC: "There are dodgy employers out there who are trying to undercut their competitors and drive down British wages by employing people illegally, so we've come up with this new way of taking much faster on-the-spot action." [http://www.clickdocs.co.uk/news/view.asp? 12 May 2008]. So “Dr. Kabia, in this example, is the British government or the British Border immigration agency and its citizen blaming foreigners for rise in crime to deflect attention from their own failure? Is the British immigration authority prejudice against foreigners when they are asking exorbitant fees for extension of visas from foreigners? Don’t you think our African countries need to do same? See below the fees paid by foreigner in Britain to extend or regularise their status as stated by [http://ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/ukresidency/cost/ 22nd May 2008]
Husband, wife, civil partner, or unmarried or same sex partner: Postal application: £395, Application in person at public enquiry office: £595
Other categories (see Extend your visa for details) - form FLR (O): Postal application: £395, Application in person at public enquiry office: £595
Student,
student nurse, prospective student or sabbatical officer, to re-sit examination
or write thesis - form FLR (S): Postal application: £295
Application in person at public enquiry office: £500
International graduates scheme - form FLR (IGS): Postal application: £395, Application in person at public enquiry office: £595
Fresh
talent: working in Scotland
scheme - form FLR (FT: WISS): Postal application: £395
Application in person at public enquiry office: £595
Business
person, sole representative, retired person of independent means, investor or
innovator - form BUS: Postal application: £750
Application in person at public enquiry office: not available
Transfer of visa to a new passport - form NTLOC: Postal application: £160, Application in person at public enquiry office: £500
Application
for permanent residence: Husband, wife, civil partner, or unmarried or same sex
partner - form SET (M): Postal application: £750
Application in person at public enquiry office: £950
Other categories (see Settling in the United Kingdom for details) - form SET (O): Postal application: £750, Application in person at public enquiry office: £950
What is going on Sierra Leone should not be compared to what has happened in South Africa, because in South Africa the xenophobia there has nothing to do with the immigration authorities. I personally belief that what Sierra Leone immigration authority has started is good and is in the right direction. For example in 2004 I transited through the Gambia to Freetown; I was advised by Sierra Leone embassy staff to walk with Sierra Leone Passport or ID if I was planning to travel around Banjul as sport passport control checks are regular in the Gambia. Is that wrong? How were Sierra Leoneans treated in Guinea, Conakry by Guineans nationals? Indeed, I understand Dr. Kabia you are a programme worker at the Tim Parry Jonathan Ball Foundation, However, you need to be careful not to cry down your home country implementing a policy that most western countries have been practicing for the past 20 years and beyond. Yes we were help by foreign nationals and yes we have our national as refugees in other countries but it is not appropriate to have illegal immigrant either in your country for security reasons and our government can get revenue if these foreign nationals regularised their stay in the country. There should be strong and efficient control of our country borders?
Regards
Aiah B. Tondoneh
England .UK.
semp...@gmail.com
immigration, but it is unfair to blame foreigners for all of its
shortcomings and failures. It is a folly to claim that all Sierra
Leoneans are angels and do not commit crime. There are many foreingers
have contributed and still contribute to the economic, social and
cultural development of Sierra Leone. Moreover, thousands of Sierra
Leoneans sought refuge in neighbouring countries and beyond during the
brutal civil war.
We must bear in mind that people migrate to Sierra Leone just as
Sierra Leoneasn migrate to other countries.
Finally, not all that is done by the United Kingdom is correct or
moral.
May God guide us
On Jun 22, 12:44 pm, "Tondoneh Aiah (RWR) Herts Partnership FT"
> Dear Editor,
>
> I am gravely concern about Dr John Kabia's Opinion he expressed in his article on 21st June 2008 "Sierra Leone Should Stop Scapegoating Foreigners" in your Standard Time online newspaper [http://standardtimespress.net/cgi-bin/artman/publish/article_3061.shtml]
>