The Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services has taken immigration services closer to border communities in Mchinji through a new mobile border service.
The service is being offered through a MIDAS-equipped mobile van at the Mkanda–Mgubudu Crossing Point and Mchinji One Stop Border Post.
Immigration spokesperson Inspector Pasqually Zulu said the initiative which received technical support from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), is aimed at helping travellers who face challenges accessing established border posts.
The mobile van enables immigration officers to process and verify travel documents and Border Passes at designated locations.
The service was officially launched on Thursday at Mkanda–Mgubudu, where several Malawian travellers were cleared to enter Zambia using valid travel documents.
The mobile operation was later extended to Mchinji One Stop Border Post, where travellers were processed and cleared through the same mobile facility.
The department says the mobile service marks the first time it has introduced a MIDAS Mobile Van as part of its border operations.
The move is expected to make immigration services more accessible to people living and travelling around border areas without requiring them to rely solely on established immigration offices.
“The initiative further reinforces the Department’s people-centred approach to service delivery by bringing essential services closer to communities while promoting safe, orderly and lawful movement across the Malawi–Zambia border,” said Zulu.
It also gives immigration officers greater flexibility to provide services at designated crossing points where there is a need for additional or more accessible operations.
According to Zulu, mobile van is equipped with the Migration and Information Data Analysis System, commonly known as MIDAS.
The department says the introduction of the mobile facility forms part of its efforts to modernise border management and improve the efficiency and responsiveness of immigration services.
The initiative is also expected to support safe, orderly and lawful movement of people between Malawi and Zambia.
“The development reflects the Department’s continued commitment to modernising border management, strengthening migration information systems, and improving the efficiency, accessibility and responsiveness of immigration services,” he added.
The MIDAS system was developed with financial support from the World Bank under the Southern Africa Trade and Connectivity Project, implemented through the Ministry of Transport and Public Works, with technical support from the World Bank.
The department says the mobile border service will complement existing immigration operations while bringing essential services closer to the people.
