Applicants come with pastors, friends to overcrowd Canadian Visa Centre – IOM

The operators of the Canadian Visa Application Centre in Abelemkpe have attributed the large crowds outside its premises to applicants arriving with family, friends, and pastors.

The centre regularly experiences huge queues and individuals waiting outdoors, often exposed to the sun.

Kojo Wilmot, the National Officer of the International Organization for Migration (IOM)-Canadian Visa Application Center, addressed the concerns during an interview on the Citi Breakfast Show on Citi FM on Thursday, February 22.

He acknowledged the complaints about overcrowding and emphasized the continuous efforts to enhance services.

“We have received a lot of complaints and we keep improving our services,” Kojo Wilmot told host Bernard Avle.

He proceeded to explain two major instances that contribute to the overcrowding.

“On numerous occasions, the person who made the booking and secured a date will now come with an entourage and when they come, they all want to enter the application centre and this, in numerous circumstances, results in the overcrowding you see because the security person will only allow the person who made the booking to come in for the biometric.

“Secondly, there are people who get an appointment time and then decide to show up early and once your time is not up, we would insist that you wait for your time to be granted entry on numerous occasions.

“We advise that there is no need to come to the centre with a pastor to help you submit your application or undertake the biometric because, at the end of the day, we have no say in the decision that is taken.”

-citinewsroom