NAIROBI, Kenya – The Department of Refugee Services has announced a temporary delay in the issuance of Conventional Travel Documents due to an unexpected breakdown in the Passport Lamination Machine.
The delay has sparked concern among refugees who rely on these documents for travel, as the government works to restore normalcy in the printing process.
In a statement released on X (formerly Twitter), the department assured the public that efforts are underway to swiftly procure a new machine and resume operations.
“The government is swiftly procuring a new machine to resume printing soon. We appreciate your patience,” the statement read.
Conventional Travel Documents, which are issued to refugees for international travel, bear a close resemblance to passports.
These blue documents contain personal details, a photograph of the bearer, and visa pages, with a validity of five years.
They are particularly vital for refugees traveling outside their country of asylum, excluding their country of origin.
The disruption in the printing process coincides with the government’s recent acquisition of two new passport printing machines aimed at easing the issuance of passports.
These new machines, capable of producing 600 passports per hour, are part of broader efforts by the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services to streamline the passport application process.
Principal Secretary of the Department of Immigration, Julius Bitok, stated that with the new machines, Kenyans can expect to receive their passports within 14 working days.
Bitok also revealed that plans are in place to establish additional centers across the country to further facilitate passport issuance, a move that could potentially benefit the processing of refugee travel documents once the lamination machine is replaced.
The delay has sparked concern among refugees who rely on these documents for travel, as the government works to restore normalcy in the printing process.
In a statement released on X (formerly Twitter), the department assured the public that efforts are underway to swiftly procure a new machine and resume operations.
“The government is swiftly procuring a new machine to resume printing soon. We appreciate your patience,” the statement read.
Conventional Travel Documents, which are issued to refugees for international travel, bear a close resemblance to passports.
These blue documents contain personal details, a photograph of the bearer, and visa pages, with a validity of five years.
They are particularly vital for refugees traveling outside their country of asylum, excluding their country of origin.
The disruption in the printing process coincides with the government’s recent acquisition of two new passport printing machines aimed at easing the issuance of passports.
These new machines, capable of producing 600 passports per hour, are part of broader efforts by the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services to streamline the passport application process.
Principal Secretary of the Department of Immigration, Julius Bitok, stated that with the new machines, Kenyans can expect to receive their passports within 14 working days.
Bitok also revealed that plans are in place to establish additional centers across the country to further facilitate passport issuance, a move that could potentially benefit the processing of refugee travel documents once the lamination machine is replaced.
