DISORGANISATION AND SERVICE DELIVERY CONCERNS AT ABUKO IMMIGRATION OFFICE

By Paralegal Sonko | Public Interest Observation

Today, I visited the Abuko office of the Gambia Immigration Department to observe its operations and assess the level of organisation and service delivery. Unfortunately, what I witnessed raised serious concerns about queue management, administrative coordination, and the treatment of citizens seeking essential services.

1. Early Arrival, Yet No Respect for the Queue

Many applicants reportedly arrived as early as 2:00 a.m., hoping to secure their place in the queue and receive timely service. However, immigration officers held a briefing lasting approximately 35 minutes, while service reportedly commenced at around 8:50 a.m.

The most troubling concern was the apparent failure to maintain the order in which applicants had arrived. People who had waited for hours were mixed up with others, raising a fundamental question: What is the purpose of arriving early if the queue is not properly respected?

Citizens deserve a transparent, orderly, and fair system that recognises their time and effort.

2. Concerns About Staff Preparedness and Public Communication

During my observation, I also noticed what appeared to be a significant number of junior officers at the facility. This observation raises questions about staff supervision, training, and the availability of experienced personnel to handle applicants’ concerns.

At one point, an officer informed applicants that their forms had expired and that they needed to renew them. While there may be legitimate administrative requirements governing the validity of application forms, citizens deserve clear, consistent, and authoritative explanations rather than confusion at the point of service.

Immigration services must be guided by clear procedures that are properly communicated to the public.

3. Conflicting Instructions on Where Applications Should Be Submitted

I also observed situations that warrant clarification from the department.

Some applicants were reportedly instructed to return to the locations where they had obtained their application forms, despite the forms also being available online.

In another instance, an applicant who had her form stamped at Kanifing but attempted to submit it at Abuko was reportedly directed to return to Kanifing.

This raises an important administrative question: If these offices operate under the same institution, what specific rules determine where an application can be submitted?

If different offices have different responsibilities or submission requirements, the department should make those distinctions clear to applicants before they spend hours travelling, queuing, and waiting.

Citizens should not have to discover administrative requirements only after reaching the service point.

4. A Call for Accountability and Administrative Reform

Based on today’s observations, I consider the organisation of services at the Abuko office seriously unsatisfactory. The concerns described above warrant a formal explanation from the relevant authorities.

I therefore call on the leadership of the Gambia Immigration Department to:

Investigate the reported failures in queue management.

Clarify official opening and service commencement times.

Explain the procedures governing the validity and acceptance of application forms.

Publish clear guidelines on whether applications can be submitted at different immigration offices.

Strengthen staff supervision and public communication.

Introduce a transparent system that ensures applicants are served fairly and efficiently.

CONCLUSION: THE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES

Public institutions exist to serve citizens, not to subject them to unnecessary confusion, uncertainty, and wasted time.

These are not merely complaints about waiting. They are questions about administrative efficiency, consistency, transparency, and respect for the public.

As a paralegal officer and concerned citizen, I believe that public service delivery must be open to scrutiny and constructive criticism. Where administrative procedures create unnecessary difficulties, the public deserves answers and the responsible authorities must be given an opportunity to respond.

My next stop is Brusubi, where I intend to continue observing the application process and comparing the experiences of applicants across offices.

I WILL NOT STOP UNTIL THE RIGHT THING IS DONE.

Note: This report reflects my observations and accounts received during today’s visit. The department’s explanation and any applicable official procedures should be sought before drawing conclusions about individual officers or establishing whether any rules were breached.

Paralegal Sonko
Advocating for accountability, transparency, and better public service delivery.

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