* As well as an online application to enable Malawians submit their applications and online appointment booking
* It has been enhanced with a duly encoded chip in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards and specifications
* As the passport issuance at the Immigration Department has successfully migrated from temporary solution to permanent one
By Duncan Mlanjira
The Ministry of Homeland Security has announced that processing and issuance of passports will now be seamless at the Department of Immigration & Citizenship Services following the successful migration from temporary solutions offered by E-Tech to a permanent one by Madras Security Printers.
Advertisement
A statement from Homeland Security Minister, Ezekiel Peter Ching’oma, assures that as of today, July 25, the new system for the permanent solution to the passport inssuance has rolled out and that additional service centres have been introduced in Salima, Mzimba, Karonga, Kasungu and Chikwawa to ease congestion to original centres of Lilongwe, Blantyre, Mangochi and Mzuzu.
The Ministry says the permanent system has introduced improved and secure features that will enable citizens travel with confidence — which include:
a) an e-passport with enhanced security features duly encoded chip in accordance with ICAO standards and specifications;
b) an online application to enable Malawians submit their applications;
c) online electronic (including mobile money transfers) and onsite payment systems;
d) designated passport data capturing and collection centres;
e) improved processing work flow: resducing redundancies for a more efficient process;
f) enhanced and confident security features for the passport booklets;
g) online appointment booking;
h) improved printing capacity with state-of-the-art passport printers;
I) instant passport inssuance;
j) MS notifications for application submission and passport being issued out and ready for collection.
“Following the cyber breach of the passport issuing system in March 2024 that resulted in passport services experiencing disruptions, Government contracted Tech Systems in April 2024 to provide solutions,” Ching’oma says in the statement.
“Since then, the temporary solution faced numerous challenges including some passports failing to scan — resulting in citizens being arrested in foreign land and tormented on allegations that they were traveling on fake or forged document; denied entry or delays at border crossing.”
Ching’oma added that the government took several steps to resolve the challenges by signing a contract with Madras Security Printers to provide permanent solutions for “a more robust and trusted solution”.
“The previous weeks’ installations and upgrades of the new system reached a crucial migration stage leading to a temporary halt of new applications, processing and printing passports.
“During this transitional period, the Department focused on finalising registration with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). Further, there has been system testing, system integration with all key stakeholders such as National Registration Bureau (NRB) and banks on payment module, user testing and piloting.
He further said the permanent system installation will significantly improve the passport issuance services by bring in closer to the people through decentralisation from the original service centres through the additional new centres.
“Lilongwe rolls out today and next week, all the other centres will have full installations and eventually full capacity issuances.
Advertisement
“The Ministry regrets any inconvenience cause during the recently migration process. Further, the Ministey would like to assure the general public that all the already paid for and pending printing applications will be given utmost priority and cleared with 21 days
“New applications will be attended to with utmost speed and efficiency starting today, [July 25]. A dedicated joint technical team has tirelessly and collaboratively worked 24/7 to ensure that the Department resumes passport processing and issuance service as quickly as possible.
“Pursuant to ICAO standards and security requirements, the Department will dispatch a specimen of the new passport to every country and all Malawi’s foreign missions around the world to ensure that Malawians travelling abroad with the new passport are given seamless immigration services at all points of entry.”
