Obtaining the National Identification Number (NIN) provided by the National Civil Registration Authority is now an eligibility criterion to access Sierra Leone Passports plus Work and Resident Permits effective June 1, 2022, a Joint Communique signed by NCRA, the Immigration Department and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security stated Wednesday.
The communique followed an earlier Cabinet Approval on the matter and a subsequent Parliamentary ratification on March 22 mandating NCRA to partner with Constrat Systems SL LTD to produce Biometric and Securitised ID cards. The mandate was to produce National, ECOWAS Compliant and Non-National Identity Cards, ID Verification System and Public Key Infrastructure featuring a unique non-repeatable and non-reusable NIN.
The Joint Communique dated March 16 clarified as follows:
- “That effective 1st June, 2022, all applications for Work Permit, Resident Permit, Passport and other Immigration Services MUST include the National Identification Number (NIN) issued by the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA) as a mandatory field.
- That the security features of the NIN ensure people have one unique identity recorded thereby removing cases of double or multiple identities per person which may have security implications, may lead to pranks, identity manipulation and fraud.
The institutions signing this joint communique urge the general public to cooperate by providing the required mandatory field mentioned herein – the NIN”.
© IEC Directorate
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