The office of the Ombudsman has identified corruption, outdated legislation, and weak institutional systems within the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services as major challenges affecting service delivery and national security.
Speaking during the official release of the Ombudsman’s systemic investigation report in Lilongwe, Ombudsman Grace Malera has said the findings reveal deep-rooted weaknesses that require urgent reforms to restore efficiency, accountability, and public trust in the country’s immigration system.
Malera said the report highlights the involvement of unofficial intermediaries, commonly known as dobadobas, who exploit passport and immigration applicants by demanding extra payments, allegedly with the assistance of some immigration officers.
“So today we are focusing on the Department of immigration and citizenship services and the key findings are relating to issues of chronic corruption and maladministration in the delivery of services, in this report we are recommending this needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency. We have also found that the delivery is impeded because they operating with very outdated and archaic laws, these statutes do have provisions that help the department to respond to emerging issues around transnational organized crimes,” Malera explained.
She added that the department operates under the immigration laws dating back to the 1960s, which are no longer adequate to address modern challenges such as digitalisation.
The report also raised concerns over contracts awarded to passport service providers and the potential risks associated with private companies handling sensitive government data.
Malera said both the Department of immigration and citizenship services and the ministry of Homeland Security have committed to implementing the report’s recommendations.
In his remarks, Director General of Immigration Denise Chipawo has described the report as comprehensive and pledged that the department would implement its recommendations to improve service delivery.
Director of Administration in the Ministry of Homeland Security Bob Chiremba said the ministry is committed to implementing the Ombudsman’s recommendations and is working with the Law Commission to review and modernise the country’s outdated immigration laws.
The ombudsman’s office conducts the systemic investigations based on the mandate vested in the office by section 123 the constitution as well as Section 5 subsection 1 subsection B of the Ombudsman Act.
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