Immigration starts printing passports in Mangochi

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services has rolled out a trial printing of passports in Mangochi in fulfilment of its reforms.

The development has stirred excitement among residents of the Eastern Region—which covers Zomba, Balaka, Mangochi and Machinga districts—who were travelling to Blantyre to process passports.

Immigration national spokesperson Joseph Chauwa said the printing of passports in Mangochi started last week. He added that the Eastern Region Immigration headquarters has since moved from the old capital Zomba to Mangochi.

He said: “Within a week, we have managed to print 100 passports and we know this will help decongest our Blantyre office.

“The decision to move the headquarters [of Immigration in the Eastern Region] from Zomba to Mangochi is a strategic one because Mangochi is also close to areas such as Monkey Bay, Balaka, Liwonde and even Machinga.”

Chauwa said Technobrain installed the passport printing equipment in Mangochi, but the department was in-charge of all operations. He said the arrangement with the supplier was on Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis and the transfer has since been effected.

The opening of Mangochi branch has increased the number of passport printing points to four after Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu.

Kondwani Phiri, a resident of Liwonde in Machinga, described the of printing of passports in Mangochi as momentous and timely, especially coming at a time when the Liwonde-Mangochi Road is being upgraded.

Many youths in the lakeshore district of Mangochi trek to South Africa for employment and business opportunities.