Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville): Airport security conditions and exit requirements for Congolese nationals (August 2005)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Ottawa |
| Publication Date | 19 August 2005 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | COG100398.E |
| Reference | 5 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville): Airport security conditions and exit requirements for Congolese nationals (August 2005), 19 August 2005, COG100398.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/440ed6ec25.html [accessed 15 October 2022] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
In 22 August 2005 correspondence sent to the Research Directorate, a consular representative of the Republic of the Congo in Toronto stated that a valid passport is required for Congolese nationals to leave the country by plane. Also, he added that a visa might be required, depending on the agreements between the Republic of the Congo and other countries (Republic of the Congo 22 Aug. 2005). However, visas are not required for domestic flights (ibid.).
Regarding security conditions, various reports stated that an unidentified teenager was shot and killed by police in January 2004 while trying to hide in the undercarriage of an Air France plane at Brazzaville's Maya-Maya airport (PANA 10 Jan. 2004; Reuters 10 Jan. 2004; Online Travel Review 12 Jan. 2004). Citing the commander of the border police at the airport, a 10 January 2004 Panafrican News Agency (PANA) report added that another "fruitless" attempt took place a few days earlier at the same airport, while two sources revealed that in October 2003, a 20-year-old man was found dead in Paris; he was discovered in the landing gear of an Air France plane from Brazzaville (PANA 10 Jan. 2004; Reuters 10 Jan. 2004).
According to a 10 January 2004 Reuters article, the "Brazzaville's Maya-Maya airport is built next to impoverished neighbourhoods in the run-down city [and] the runways are surrounded by grass, making it easy for people to hide and wait for planes to pass." Citing the commander of the border police at the same airport, a PANA article pointed out the consistent "malpractices" at Maya-Maya airport and "deplored the poor security barrier" at the same airport (10 Jan. 2004).
Referring to the same airport, another PANA report cited the Congolese director-general of police who compared the airport to "an open field through which every person goes without being checked and others mill about," and who concluded that "security arrangements at Maya-Maya airport were not as operational as expected" (21 Sept. 2001).
In addition, describing the security conditions at Pointe-Noire airport in Southern Congo where a dozen West Africans were arrested while they were trying to illegally board an Angolan-bound aircraft, a 10 October 2001 PANA report stated the following:
Passengers who land at Pointe-Noire airport are often struck by the funny behaviour of security officers, employees of the National Aviation Agency and airline workers. While the policemen can be rigorous against people they do not know, they are often very lenient when it comes to their acquaintances, whom they even assist to complete boarding formalities. Civil aviation workers and airline employees have something to do with that disorder because they even allow certain passengers to board planes without paying airport tax. They are also blamed for checking in passengers without bookings ahead of those who had reserved seats in advance.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Online Travel Review. 12 January 2004. "Brazzaville Stowaway."
Panafrican News Agency (PANA). 10 January 2004. "Congolese Police Kill Stowaway in Brazzaville." (Factiva)
_____. 10 October 2001. "Police Arrest 13 West Africans Said Involved in Raw Minerals Smuggling." (BBC Monitoring/Factiva)
_____. 21 September 2001. "Government Order Ministries to ensure Security at Airport." (BBC Monitoring/Factiva)
Republic of the Congo. 22 August 2005. Correspondence from a consular representative in Toronto.
Reuters. 10 January 2004. "Congo Police Shoot Dead Boy Stowing Away on Plane." (Factiva)
Additional Sources Consulted
Oral sources:
The following sources did not respond to requests for information within time constraints:
The Canadian Embassy in Abidjan, the Embassy of the Republic of the Congo in Washington, the Hôtel de ville of Brazzaville and The Pointe Noire-based Rencontre pour la Paix et les Droits de l'Homme (RPDH)
Internet sites, including: AllAfrica, European Country of Origin Information Network (ECOI), Government of the Republic of the Congo, International Crisis Group (ICG), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), United States Department of State.
