Breaking down the figures in weekend during the commemoration of one year of partnering VFS Global for this project, the country’s high commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Kingsley Mamabolo Lagos centre which received the 44,443 applications got 34,692 approvals while Abuja which received 16,618 applications got 15, 973 approvals.

The high commissioner who was represented by the counsellor immigration, Ms Tampane Molefe-Sefanyetso, also disclosed a spike in the number of applications the VFS were able to process daily to 200 to 250 on an off the peak season to about 250 to 350 on a peak season compared to 50 to 60 which the high commission was able to process in the past when it handled the process alone.

However, he said an earlier commitment that the visa process will take up to six working day s to finalise witnessed an initial challenge which necessitated their putting some systems in place “in the back office to ensure that our response is within the stipulated time frame.”

He complained of the challenges posed by fraudulent applicants who present false passports and documents. “One of the challenges that we have to deal with at any given time is the submission of less authentic (fraudulent, forged) documentation by the applicants; situations where applicants misrepresent themselves.” he said adding that this can happen in four out of every ten applications processed.

According to the envoy, it can take a minimum of two days to a maximum of ten days to process and finalise an application.

He said some applicants failed to turn up to claim their travel document which resulted in the centre having 350 uncollected passports which have been sent to Nigerian Immigrations Service (NIS).

In his judgement, visa issuance has improved considerably with a well organised environment where an applicant is attended to in a professional, humane and respectable manner.

The new regime, he said, has created an atmosphere where the use of touts and agents by applicants became unnecessary even as the two centres in Lagos and Abuja serve applicants every day for the submission of visa applications as well as collection of passports.

This, he continued, varies from the past when intending travellers were attended to on certain days of the week and the two centres also provide a one stop shop which enables the applicant submit their applications, make photocopies when required as well as make visa payments at the implant GTbank.

He explained further that information is readily available and staff of VFS are able to clarify and advise where possible just as the facility provide for an executive lounge for those clients who need urgent attention. “As you may recall, we also have value adding services that were aimed at improving the services to the applicants. These included amongst others, the sms alert, the track and trace system, (computer enabled); as well as the call centre.” he stressing that the call centre was set up to allow the applicants to send their queries/complaints/enquiries.

AUTHOR: Paul Ohia
URL: www.paulohia.blog.com and www.paulohia.blogspot.com
E-MAIL: paulohia [at] yahoo.co.uk

The Senators cited a recent report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) revealed 40-45 percent of the estimated total population of illegal aliens — 4 to 5 million people — stayed past their visa expiration dates. But DHS’ U.S. VISIT program — which is supposed to identify people who overstay their visas by comparing entry and exit information — cannot keep up with the number of potential overstays it identifies by matching entry and exit records.

In fact, US-VISIT processes less than half of the potential overstays it identifies, and GAO found that the program has a backlog of 1.6 million potential overstay records. Once a potential overstay has been identified, the information is provided to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which devotes just 3 percent of its investigative man-hours to tracking down immigrants whose visas have expired.

This population is of grave concern to law enforcement officials. Five of the 9/11 hijackers overstayed their visas, and GAO found that 36 of the roughly 400 people convicted of terrorism-related charges since September 2001 had overstayed their visas.

“Despite numerous congressional and DHS efforts, we still lack an exit system that will effectively identify people who have overstayed their visas, and do so in real time,” Senator Lieberman said. “The reality is that U.S. VISIT remains a very troubled and ineffective program.”

“Identifying individuals who overstay is a crucial component of securing our borders, and it is simply unacceptable that we are still unable to systematically identify people who overstay – some of whom may be terrorists waiting to attack innocent Americans. I am asking Secretary Napolitano to update the Committee on current efforts within the Department to close this dangerous vulnerability,” said Lieberman.

In speeches and in her testimony, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano boasts of the success of her department in dealing with illegal immigration and related issues including border security. However, past and recent GAO studies present a different picture, say many law enforcement officials.

Senator Collins said, “According to the GAO report, ICE should do a better job identifying the estimated four million people in the United States who have stayed illegally after their permission to be here expired.”

“The Pew Hispanic Center reports there are about 12 million individuals here illegally and between four million and 5.5 million of those came here legally but their visas have since expired. I understand that only three percent of ICE efforts are focused on these cases. That seems insufficient and shortsighted as almost half of all unauthorized residents fall into this category,” said Collins.

AUTHOR: Jim Kouri
URL: http://www.renewamerica.com/
E-MAIL: COPmagazine [at] aol.com