Mozambican embassies and consulates to issue IDs and passports

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Mozambican embassies and consulates to issue IDs and passports

12:16 CAT | 19 Mar 2018

South African President Jacob Zuma addresses his supporters after he survived a no-confidence motion in Cape Town, South Africa, August 8, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings

File photo / Notícias

The Ministry of the Interior (MINT) is training Mozambican embassy and consulate staff to issue ID cards and biometric passports to citizens residing abroad, obviating the need to send teams from Mozambique.

National Director of Civil Identification (DIC) Domingos Jofane revealed the plans a few days ago in Mbabane, Swaziland, during the ceremonial delivery of identification documents to Mozambican citizens living and working there.

At present, the process of collecting data and issuing these documents is carried out by teams from Mozambique dispatched to countries with Mozambican communities.

In order to facilitate the process, Jofane explained that the MINT was equipping diplomatic representations to carry out this activity. Technicians from the DIC and the National Migration Service (Senami) will be placed in the embassies and consulates so that they can permanently meet the needs of Mozambicans abroad.

Once the data is collected, Jofane explained, it will be sent to Maputo, where it will undergo scrutiny. Only after verification will the identification and travel documents be issued and sent to the diplomatic entities for hand-over.

“With this process in place in the main diplomatic representations, we will obviate the need for fellow citizens to return to Mozambique to acquire documentation, with all the costs involved. We will also minimise the costs of sending teams to collect data,” the DIC director explained.

Jofane also suggested that some diplomatic missions could be equipped to issuance ID documents and passports, but, given the complexity of the process and costs involved, not all missions would be covered, at least in the pilot phase.

“We will consolidate the process in countries with a strong Mozambican presence. At present, some embassies are in the process of preparing DIC and SENAMI technicians to carry out this work,” he explained.

South Africa, Portugal, Ethiopia and Germany have significant Mozambican communities that may, in a pilot phase, see the equipment for capturing data for the issuance of a passport and identity card installed.

During a recent visit by President Nyusi to Switzerland, the Mozambican community there expressed concern that they did not have easy access to the identification documents necessary to obtain ID documents or passports, leaving them with expenses of around two to three thousand US dollars for travel to Mozambique as a result.

Source: Notícias