Immigration Department Resumes Passport Printing, Clears Backlog

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services has resumed passport printing after weeks of disruption, with more than 1,000 passports already ready for collection across Malawi.

Spokesperson Pasqually Zulu confirmed the development, saying applicants in Blantyre, Lilongwe, and Mzuzu have begun receiving notifications via SMS and other channels to collect their documents.

Zulu explained that the department is prioritising a backlog of applications accumulated during the suspension period. He cited data migration challenges following a system breach that complicated the transfer of records from Technobrain to E-Tech, but assured that the transition is now being managed.

So far, over 400 passports have been printed in Lilongwe, another 400 in Blantyre, and more than 70 in Mzuzu. To ease congestion, the department is publishing daily lists of successful applicants.

One applicant, Miracle Ziwawo of Area 25, expressed relief after finally accessing his passport.

According to Zulu, production is now being managed by the Madras Security Printing System, which has the capacity to process over 1,000 passports per day at full efficiency.

Last week, Minister of Homeland Security Ezekiel Ching’oma assured Malawians that more than 100,000 pending applications will be prioritised under the resumed exercise, offering long-awaited relief to citizens facing travel delays.