The Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCI) has taken the drastic step of destroying 158,000 unclaimed passports, a staggering loss valued at 39.5 billion Ugandan shillings. This move highlights a persistent problem of citizens failing to collect their vital travel documents after application.
Simon Peter Mundeyi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, explained that despite repeated notifications, a vast number of Ugandans simply did not claim their passports. “Many Ugandans applied for and paid for their passports but failed to claim them,” he stated. “Despite sending numerous invitations to citizens to pick up their passports, the response has been minimal.”
The overwhelming majority, over 98%, of the destroyed passports were ordinary passports, each costing 250,000 shillings. The decision to destroy the documents was driven by a critical lack of storage space at the DCI, and Mundeyi warned that further destruction is imminent. “We currently have over 12,580 processed passports that have not been claimed,” he revealed. “We’ve been sending messages inviting their owners to collect them, but if they don’t show up, they will definitely be destroyed as well.”
A significant portion of these unclaimed passports were applied for between 2017 and 2020, during the transition from the old black passports to the current version. False information circulating at the time spurred a rush of applications, with many fearing they would be unable to obtain passports in the future.
The COVID-19 pandemic also played a significant role. Job losses during lockdowns drove many Ugandans to apply for passports in hopes of securing employment abroad. However, travel restrictions and subsequent bans imposed by Saudi Arabia on labor export companies, following reports of exploitation and abuse, dashed these hopes.
“We also have about 60,000 passports that were returned by labor export companies after they failed to send Ugandans for external employment,” Mundeyi added. “These passports remain valid and many will be valid until 2023. We urge Ugandans who were unable to travel to come and collect their passports.”
Peter Sekyomu, a former driver in Dubai, exemplifies the situation. He applied for a passport but lost his job during the pandemic and was unable to return. “I had paid for the passport, but by the time travel restrictions were lifted, I had already lost my job,” he shared. “It took more than three years before I was able to pick up my passport. Now, I’m looking for a driver job in Uganda because returning to Dubai is very difficult.”
The destruction of these passports represents a substantial financial loss and highlights the complex interplay of factors, including misinformation, economic hardship, and international restrictions, that have contributed to this immigration dilemma.