MPs have raised concern over the safety of citizens spending nights outside the immigration premises as they seek to acquire passports.
Government is phasing out the booklet passports and instead introducing e-passports whose application process is majorly done online.
Raising a matter of national importance during the plenary sitting on 8 April 2021 Hon. Cecilia Ogwal (FDC, Dokolo district) said the sight of long queues at the immigration offices is disheartening, adding that some people, especially women spend nights outside the offices.
She said this poses a risk to the women, as they are exposed to crime.
“I need the Minister of Internal Affairs to tell us if the government has found a better and safer way to handle this problem. I believe that the Minister is aware that these people actually sleep outside,” Ogwal said.
Hon. Patrick Nsamba (NRM, Kasanda North) blamed the queues at immigration offices on the working methods of government, calling for decentralisation of passport processing.
“People travel from upcountry to Kampala to process passports. Government needs to device a long lasting solution to this problem,” he said.
Mitooma District Woman MP, Hon. Jovah Kamateeka called for publishing of names of those whose passports are ready to avoid congestion at the immigration offices.
“Put their names in the newspapers instead of everyone flocking the offices. Government should also consider enabling the pick-up of passports to be done in the regional offices,” Kamateeka said.
The Minister of state for Internal Affairs, Hon Obiga Kania however said the congestion at the immigration office is caused by the labour exporting companies which he said transport the people in large numbers and abandon them there.
“The new system allows us to capture details of the applicants online and they are only contacted to take finger prints and pictures, and then pick them. We have advised these labour companies against bringing the applicants to the offices but they have not heeded,” said Obiga Kania.
He added that the Ministry is in the process of getting secure and bigger premises for receiving the applicants.