Walrond says ‘strict scrutiny’ for firearm licences continues

Minister of Home Affairs, Oneidge Walrond says her office continues to enforce strict scrutiny in the issuance of firearm licences, assuring that no licenses are being granted randomly.

Speaking with reporters on the sidelines of a recent event, Walrond stressed that the law mandates a rigorous review process for every applicant, a standard she said has been consistently upheld under her leadership.

“There has always been, the law requires for strict scrutiny of every single applicant, which is what I at my office, since I have taken over the office have done and continue to do,” Walrond said.

She dismissed any suggestion of irregularities in the system.

“You would not get reports of ad hoc licences being issued out of the office of the Minister of Home Affairs. They are all well scrutinised for those that are done and they are done very carefully,” Walrond told reporters.

Speaking on a recent recent incident in which a child was found in possession of a licensed firearm at a school, Walrond said the situation highlights the responsibility of licence holders to properly secure their weapons.

“That’s a serious infraction of the licence, but that is a total different issue,” she noted, while emphasising that firearm holders must keep their weapons on their person or stored securely at all times.

Amidst the growing backlog of firearm license applications, President Dr Irfaan Ali had proposed the use of non-lethal but “highly effective” weapons as part of efforts to respond to people’s needs and clear in February this year.

According to Walrond, this review process for this is already at an advanced stage.

“The Ministry is reviewing that and is in advanced stages of reviews to have those kinds of weapons issued,” she said.