Chief Minister Dr. David Moinina Sengeh has stated that Sierra Leone is duty-bound to accept its citizens wherever they may be in the world if they commit crimes abroad and are deported by their host countries.
Speaking on the AVY Wake Salone programme, Dr. Sengeh explained that deportation is an international practice governed by a country’s responsibility to its nationals. He stressed that no nation can refuse to receive its own citizens, regardless of their criminal record.
He noted that Sierra Leone also deports foreign nationals who commit crimes within its borders, adding that the country has, in turn, deported individuals to nations including the United States and others.
According to Dr. Sengeh, this principle applies universally: once a person is identified as a national of a particular country, it becomes that country’s responsibility to receive them if they are deported.
He emphasized that deportation is determined by citizenship, not the severity of an individual’s record, as citizenship carries both rights and obligations under international norms.