You Must Come Back Home.

The Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control (DCIC) has changed its guidelines for Ugandans living in the Diaspora, saying anyone who claims their passport has gotten lost must return home and process the replacement in the country.

The Ministry of Internal affairs spokesperson Simon Peter Mundeyi said- “Some Ugandans in the diaspora sell their passports to strangers at $5000. Explaining that some Ugandans in the diaspora have been claiming that their passports got lost and whenever a replacement is done, they sell them to other black people, purposely to execute their criminal activities”.

“Countries have been complaining about Uganda and a decision has since been taken that every Ugandan who claims that his or her passport has gotten lost must return home and process the replacement from here.”- Mundeyi continued.

Mundeyi further explained how many countries in Europe and Asia find it difficult to differentiate blacks and it becomes easy for a black person from another country to bypass the immigration system using a Ugandan passport.

The DCIC said Ugandans in Diaspora should not expect that they would acquire new passports or replacements at the embassies in their respective countries. The embassies can only be used for collecting a passport whose details have been captured from home. However, those seeking renewal for expired passports do not need to travel back as they can be served by the embassies because they will have presented the outdated one.

“Ugandans losing passports must return”- Mundeyi said.

THE EAST AFRICAN E-PASSPORTS AS REFERRED

On 2nd March 2016, The 17th Ordinary Summit of the EAC Heads of State launched the EA e-Passport in Three categories; Diplomatic, service and Ordinary. The EAC e-Passport is an international passport and therefore replaced the former National Passports of the EAC partner states.

The EA e-passport is standardized, using minimum standard material such as polycarbonate Bio-data page to have high quality EA e-Passport with a large portfolio of integrated security elements. The standard international e-Passport has an electronic chip that holds the same information that is printed on the passport’s data page, the holder’s name, date of birth, and other biographic data. It also contains a biometric identifier and has a digital photograph of the holder and security features to prevent unauthorized reading or “scanning” of the data stored.

The e-Passports incorporates biometric data such as fingerprints and facial recognition technology, enhancing security and reducing the risk of identity fraud.

At the heart of the e-Passport lies an embedded electronic chip that securely stores the holder’s information, including personal details, biometric data, and travel history. This digitized format enables quick and efficient verification by immigration authorities, reducing processing times and enhancing border security.

The East African e-Passports adheres to international standards, ensuring compatibility with electronic systems deployed at airports and border crossings worldwide. This interoperability facilitates smoother travel experiences for EAC citizens, whether within the region or beyond its borders, while also facilitating the integration of regional security databases.

In addition to biometric authentication and electronic storage capabilities, the e-Passport incorporates advanced security features such as holographic images, digital watermarks, and tamper-evident elements. These measures make the passport highly resistant to counterfeiting and unauthorized alterations, safeguarding the integrity of the travel document and the identity of its holder.

GLOBAL USE FOR BIOMETRIC PASSPORTS.

Many countries around the world have moved to e-Passports, and most are requiring them for entry. The United States, for example, requires travelers entering the country via the Visa Waiver Program to have and use an e-Passport. Countries such as Slovakia have been using biometric passports for many years. Similarly, travelers wishing to enter Europe are required to use a biometric passport and also obtain an ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) visa waiver. You will need to fill out an online form that includes personal information and security questions. Then, that waiver can be linked to a biometric passport, making for easy travel.  

The question in place, why assume a passport lost is a passport sold?

In the era of advanced and sophisticated technology, governments should firstly protect their citizens wherever they are in the Diaspora. A state should put in place a system to soften the lives of its nationals, And one of the best ways of doing this is through national pride. With the technology in place, a Passport reported lost should be made obsolete(through disabling the data chip and protecting people’s information).

Every single person on earth has their own fingerprint.

In fact, the National Forensic Science Technology Center states that, “no two people have ever been found to have the same fingerprints-including identical twins.” Also, it’s important to keep in mind that fingerprints also vary between your own fingers. This means you have a very unique print on each finger.

With all these tools in place to safeguard data and minimize cyber-crimes, why do Ugandans in the Diaspora still have to incur costs of travelling back home to process lost passports?