Malawi’s national identity verification systems are facing scrutiny following revelations that 45 foreign nationals are suspected of attempting to fraudulently acquire Malawian passports, raising concerns about whether weaknesses within public institutions could be exploited to obtain national identity documents.
Legal expert Benedicto Kondowe says the situation highlights the need to strengthen verification procedures and institutional controls to prevent individuals from obtaining Malawian citizenship documents through fraudulent means.
Kondowe told MANA that the main concern should be whether institutions responsible for national registration and passport issuance have reliable systems to establish applicants’ identities and citizenship.
“The greater concern may lie in weaknesses in verification, institutional coordination and internal controls,” he said.
Kondowe said Malawi has laws capable of addressing passport fraud, but their effectiveness depends on enforcement and the reliability of systems used to verify applicants.
He called for stronger information sharing between the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services and the National Registration Bureau (NRB), biometric verification, independent document authentication and regular integrity checks.
MANA reports that Immigration has apprehended more than 1,000 foreign nationals, rejected 1,752 visa applications and identified 45 foreign nationals suspected of attempting to fraudulently acquire Malawian passports. Two suspects, a Zambian and a Tanzanian national, have already been convicted in Blantyre and are awaiting deportation.
Immigration spokesperson Pasqually Zulu said the department was strengthening document verification, screening procedures, passport application interviews and audit processes while working with NRB to cross-check applicants’ identity details and nationality claims.
MANA further reports that investigations are ongoing to establish whether other individuals, including Malawian citizens or public officers, were involved in the suspected schemes.
Zulu also clarified that no passport was issued to Alice Banda, whose application was rejected at both the interview and audit stages on November 6, 2026.
