Sierra Leone’s Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Security, Umaru Napoleon Koroma, has engaged Guinean authorities to seek safer and more coordinated passage for Sierra Leoneans travelling through Guinea to take up employment opportunities in Arab countries.
The engagement forms part of efforts to strengthen cross-border cooperation and prevent unnecessary delays and disruptions for Sierra Leonean workers who use Guinea as a transit route on their journey abroad.
Minister Koroma’s intervention follows reports of Sierra Leoneans encountering delays and other challenges at Guinean entry points while travelling to secure employment opportunities overseas.
During the discussions, the Minister emphasised the need for both countries to improve coordination and ensure that prospective workers with valid documentation can complete the required immigration and cross-border procedures smoothly.
Koroma also highlighted Sierra Leone’s existing Memoranda of Understanding with several Arab countries governing the recruitment and employment of Sierra Leonean nationals. He noted that while legally registered recruitment companies are authorised to facilitate overseas employment, unregistered operators continue to engage in fraudulent practices that can expose workers to exploitation.
He stressed the need for stronger regulation of overseas recruitment to protect Sierra Leoneans from illegal recruitment schemes, poor working conditions and other forms of exploitation.
To strengthen oversight, the Minister announced plans to establish a dedicated committee responsible for overseas employment and migration. The committee is expected to improve coordination, monitor recruitment processes and enhance safeguards for Sierra Leoneans seeking legitimate employment abroad.
The engagement also reaffirmed the importance of ensuring that Sierra Leonean workers travelling through Guinea possess the necessary documentation and comply with immigration and employment requirements in both countries.
Minister Koroma said Sierra Leone remains committed to establishing transparent and coordinated labour migration systems that protect citizens while enabling them to pursue legitimate employment opportunities abroad.
