The deputy director general of the Gambia Immigration Department, Buba Sayang, has described cases of passport fraud as global phenomena that can only be tackled through collective involvement of all citizens.

He was speaking in response to the subject of a seemingly endless debate apparently sparked by a letter published on the Daily Observer, sent in by one Gibril Badgie, a Gambian student studying in Indonesia. Badjie had expressed concern over incidents in Indonesia where alleged fraudsters had been arrested with Gambian passport in their possession. This, Sanyang admitted, could be true. But he said that it is one thing to see a passport that looks like one from a particular country, but a different issue altogether to authenticate such document.

He cited several instances, backing his point with a presentation of clear evidences to the Daily Observer, where non Gambians have attempted to forge Gambian passports. But he said that it would take an established security system, like the biometric visa system recently installed at the Banjul International Airport, to ascertain the authenticity of such fraudulent document.  

The Immigration no. 2 who walked into our offices alongside Abdou Lamin Jatta, said to be the PRO of the Gambia Immigration Department appealed for Gambians to remain steadfast in preservation of the history of peace and stability we are known for.