The Ugandan Directorate of Immigration is confronting a pressing challenge of storage congestion due to a significant accumulation of uncollected passports. With over 50,000 passports from as far back as 2018 remaining unclaimed across five key centers located in Kampala, Jinja, Gulu, Mbarara, and Mbale, the situation has reached a critical juncture.

Simon Mudenyi, spokesperson for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, has raised alarm about the issue. The sheer volume of unclaimed passports has led to a storage crunch, impeding the Directorate’s ability to process new applications efficiently.

A major hurdle exacerbating the situation is the difficulty in communication. Many passport holders cannot be reached due to inactive phone numbers or failed attempts at delivering messages. This communication breakdown has significantly hampered efforts to notify individuals about their unclaimed passports. Additionally, the recent addition of 2,000 unclaimed passports from 2024 has further strained resources. In response, the public is strongly urged to collect their passports promptly. Mudenyi stresses that the process for claiming passports is straightforward and encourages holders to come forward as soon as possible.

In order to address the backlog effectively and expedite the processing of new applications, the Directorate of Immigration is actively exploring ways to enhance communication channels. However, urgent action is needed to alleviate the strain on resources and prevent the situation from worsening.