The Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services says it has initiated strategies to alleviate overcrowding and long queues for passport applicants amidst a surge in demand for these services.
National spokesperson Wellington Chiponde has told Nthanda Times in an interview that the Department has implemented various approaches to enhance service delivery and eliminate lengthy queues for passport applicants.
According to Chiponde, some of the approaches the department has initiated include resumption of the services in Blantyre and says the services will also resume in Mzuzu and Mangochi.
“We have swiftly responded to the high demand for passport services by expediting the resumption of services in Blantyre. We will soon extend these efforts to Mzuzu and Mangochi. This aligns with our goal of providing customer-centric services and reducing costs for applicants,” Chiponde stated.
Chiponde also added that passport applicants can now access application forms online, eliminating the need to stand in long lines at Immigration offices, emphasizing that the Department has intensified measures to clear the outstanding backlog, operating 24-hour shifts to process all applications.
“We are employing multifaceted approaches to clear the backlog and decongest our offices, ensuring we meet the prevailing demand for passport services. Our commitment to resolving this congestion issue is unwavering,” he added.
Chiponde also cautioned applicants against using middlemen and transporters, who often deceive and abandon them at Immigration offices.
He advised that there is a waiting period for every application, and applicants should avoid camping or sleeping at the offices.
“We urge passport applicants to refrain from involving middlemen and transporters in their application process. The Department will not hesitate to apprehend individuals posing as Immigration Officers to deceive applicants,” Chiponde warned.
People in the country have been congesting at the department offices in quest to get the srvices, with some people sleeping at the offices for weeks to get their passports processed.
On 11th July this year, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested eight officers and two middlemen at the Immigration Department for alleged corrupt practices in the issuance of passports and other travel documents.
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