IMMIGRATION OFFICE FOR AUKI

By Eliza Kukutu

The Immigration Division within the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Labour and Immigration is working on establishing an immigration office in Malaita Province.

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, Riley Mesepitu confirmed this to SIBC News.

He said once established, a passport mobile unit machine will be set up to provide passport services.

“Our team from the immigration division are now working on establishing an office in Auki. Once this is established, citizens in Malaita can come to Auki to access passport services there.”

“We are yet to confirm the timing at which this will be established, but I can confirm that they are working on it now and we will be organizing some of our officials to be deployed there,” he said.

Earlier this month, the immigration division also started providing national passport services at its Noro Office in Western Province.

This is following the deployment of two immigration officials to the province, to support the Noro Immigration Office with the establishment of a permanent Passport Mobile Enrolment Unit (MEU).

The passport mobile units facilitate the enrollment of applicants from these provinces, with the final printing of passport books to be done at the main office in Honiara.

SIBC News understands, the Immigration Division between 2021 and 2022 issued over 13,000 passports, majority of which were for citizens applying for the Labour Mobility Program.

With the increase in demand for passports, the immigration division as part of its reform programs developed the initiative to decentralize passport services to the provinces.

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