The Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services says it is set to decentralise passport services by opening new district offices in Thyolo, Chikwawa, Kasungu, Mzimba, Karonga and Salima, in what authorities describe as a major step towards easing access to travel documents in the country.

Department spokesperson Pasqually Zulu told Zodiak on Friday that preparations are at an advanced stage as they await the new e-passport contractor, Madras Security Printer, to deploy key equipment.

“We are only waiting for the contractor to install passport printers at our regional offices so that we can proceed with deploying ICT equipment to the targeted districts,” said Zulu.

He added "This decentralisation is critical in addressing longstanding challenges and will help us clear the current backlog in passport printing.”

Thyolo District Commissioner Hudson Kuphanga has welcomed the development, saying the district is more than ready to host the new office.

 “We have already allocated office space within the new Thyolo District Council complex,” said Kuphanga.
“People from Thyolo and surrounding areas will no longer need to travel long distances to access immigration and citizenship services.”

For years, many Malawians have been forced to travel to major regional offices in Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mzuzu and Mangochi, often enduring long queues and delays due to limited service points.

The department says the new district offices will bring services closer to the people and help improve efficiency once fully operational.