Africa-Press – Angola. A total of 465 different passports were issued by the Migration and Foreigners Service (SME) in Huambo province, between January and March of this year, 447 less compared to the same period in the previous year.
The data were provided Friday, to the press, by the local director of the SME, migration commissioner Hermenegildo Segunda Licachi, as part of the celebrations of the 47 years of existence of this body of the Ministry of the Interior, to be marked on the 19th of the month ongoing.
Without revealing the causes of the reduction, he explained that the passports issued resulted from 800 processes received during the period under review, with an increase of 379.
Of the total issued, he added, 455 are ordinary and ten are for service.
The migration commissioner made it known that the institution’s counter has 716 processes to be delivered to their holders, 714 of which are ordinary and two are on duty.
Migratory status of the province
On the other hand, the official considered the migration situation in Huambo province to be stable and controlled, which, due to its geographical location, means that it does not have data on illegal immigrants, only foreigners staying illegally.
At the moment, he informed, 1,396 foreign citizens are being controlled, of which 1,121 are men and 275 are women, of 42 nationalities, with greater predominance for Mauritania, with 308.
Of the total foreign population, he continued, 439 hold work visas, 139 hold temporary stay and investor visas, 241 hold asylum applicant declarations, 286 hold asylum applicant receipts and 89 hold resident cards.
According to the migration commissioner, in the last three months, three citizens of Vietnamese, Malian and Chadian nationalities were sent to the SME Central detention center for illegal aliens.
The official said that the collaboration of the population, especially community leaders, in actions to combat illegal migration was beneficial.
On the balance of the body’s performance in the province, over the 47 years of existence, the official migration commissioner said that it was equally satisfactory and with trends of improvement of services associated with the country’s computer and technological evolution.
Among the challenges, he pointed out the opening, at provincial level, of a regional center for issuing electronic passports.
In terms of difficulties, he highlighted the reduced number of staff to meet the province’s demand, in terms of ensuring adequate control of the migratory situation, which has also created constraints in the expansion of services in all Huambo municipalities, with only present in six of the 11 that comprise this part of the national territory.
The commemorative day of the 47 years of existence of the SME in Huambo, opened on the 12th of the current month, under the motto “47 years, betting on modernity to better serve”, will be marked by the carrying out of various activities, with emphasis on a philanthropic action and a lecture on the situation of asylum seekers and refugees, in the light of Law 10/15, of 17 June.
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