The Liberian Senate is at the verge of endorsing a request from Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon, calling on the General Auditing Commission (GAC) to conduct a comprehensive audit of the alien work permit regime in Liberia. The move seeks to ensure integrity, transparency, and compliance within the country’s labor and immigration systems.
In a formal communication to the Senate plenary, Senator Dillon requested that the GAC be mandated to examine the issuance, renewal, and management of work permits granted to foreign nationals, amid growing concerns about alleged irregularities and loopholes that may be depriving qualified Liberians of job opportunities.
“The aim is to ensure integrity, transparency, and compliance within our labor and immigration systems, and to identify and remedy vulnerabilities that may undermine the rule of law and the rights of workers,” Senator Dillon stated in his communication. He emphasized that a thorough audit would serve the best interest of Liberian workers, employers, and the broader economy.
The audit, as outlined by Senator Dillon, is expected to cover a wide range of areas. It will seek to identify system vulnerabilities, flaws, and irregularities in the process of issuing and renewing alien work permits, as well as detect gaps in control systems, data integrity issues, and potential avenues for fraud or corruption. It will also reconcile work permit data with records from the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS), the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP), and the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA). Additionally, the audit will investigate violations of visa terms, unauthorized work, contract substitution, and other recruitment-related misconducts, while assessing employer compliance with labor laws and record-keeping obligations.
The Senator also called for verification of the credentials of foreign workers, evaluation of how visa categories align with work permits, and recommendations to strengthen data security and protect worker information.
Following the presentation of Senator Dillon’s communication, members of the Liberian Senate overwhelmingly supported the proposal. A motion was made and seconded for the matter to be forwarded to the Senate Committee on Public Accounts and Audit for review and to report back to plenary within two weeks.
Presiding over the session, Senate President Pro Tempore Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence commended the initiative and encouraged the committee to treat the matter with urgency, given its implications for national security, economic governance, and employment fairness.
In his remarks to the plenary, Senator Dillon argued that the alien work permit system has long been plagued by corruption and mismanagement, resulting in thousands of jobs being occupied by foreign nationals while qualified Liberians remain unemployed.
“There are more than 20,000 work permits out there — representing over 20,000 jobs — that Liberians are available and qualified to do,” he lamented. “We must ensure that the laws governing work permits are applied strictly so that jobs go to Liberians first before foreigners are considered.”
He further noted that the GAC audit would provide the clarity and accountability needed to reform the labor system, emphasizing that Liberia must be deliberate and intentional about creating job opportunities for its citizens.
With the Senate’s endorsement, the GAC is now expected to commence the audit once the committee’s review is concluded and a formal directive is issued. The findings will be presented to the Senate for legislative action, including recommendations for policy reforms, sanctions where necessary, and measures to strengthen coordination between the Labor Ministry, Immigration, and Revenue authorities.
The Senate’s decision is being viewed as a significant step toward promoting fairness, transparency, and accountability in Liberia’s employment and labor governance systems.
