The government has announced plans to dispose of over 50,000 unclaimed passports valued at Shs12.5 billion to free up storage space. These passports, mostly belonging to individuals who had sought employment in the Middle East, have been left unclaimed for various reasons, some for as long as six years. The surge in uncollected passports, exacerbated by an additional 2,000 applications received between January and April, presents a storage challenge for the Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control.
Uganda issues three types of passports—ordinary, official, and diplomatic—distinguished by light blue, green, and red colors respectively. However, categorizing the unclaimed passports proves difficult for the Directorate. Many of these unclaimed passports were intended for girls seeking employment opportunities in the Middle East, but with a decline in labor export activities, interest in these documents waned upon their return to their villages.
The cost of applying for a passport varies depending on the type, ranging from Shs250,000 for an ordinary passport to Shs500,000 for a diplomatic one. The Ministry is considering destroying these unclaimed passports, which have accumulated since 2018 due to space constraints and communication challenges. Despite efforts to notify applicants, including sending messages and updating the ministry's website, some individuals fail to collect their passports due to phone network issues or lack of access to communication channels.
To address the backlog and facilitate the processing of new applications, the Ministry urges applicants to promptly collect their passports or check their status online.
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