IN Lilongwe, Malawi, frustration over significant delays in passport processing led to violent protests on Thursday. Irate passport applicants threw stones at the immigration offices, damaging vehicles and creating chaos in response to the slow service.
According to eyewitnesses, the situation escalated when police used teargas to disperse the angry crowd. One witness reported that tensions boiled over when some individuals were allowed to bypass the long queue, leaving others waiting unattended.
The unrest follows a corruption crackdown by the country’s anti-corruption bureau. A week prior, the bureau raided the immigration offices, resulting in the arrest of eight officers and two civilians on charges of accepting bribes for expedited passport services. According to the bureau, applicants were being charged five times the official cost for a passport, violating national laws.
The Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services has faced a backlog of passport applications since 2021, causing hundreds of applicants to queue daily. The backlog and perceived preferential treatment have exacerbated the frustrations of those awaiting their passports.
Efforts to clear the backlog and address corruption are ongoing, but the events in Lilongwe highlight the urgent need for reforms to restore order and trust in the passport application process.
