By Derick Tsimba

Diplomatic missions will soon issue travel documents to Zimbabwean citizens abroad in a move that should safe guard Zimbabwe nationals from deportation.

On its Twitter handle, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade said there is a proposal to ensure that Diplomatic Missions issue diasporans travel documents as a way of finding a lasting solution for diasporans to renew their documents on time and avoid deportation.

“In order to find a lasting solution on the issuance of documents to the diaspora, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade is in constant communication with the responsible Ministry of Home Affairs. There is a proposal to capacitate selected Diplomatic Missions to issue documents,” said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This new development under the Second Republic should solve raised concerns by the diaspora community that they were failing to renew their documents on time, leading to employment loses or being deported, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

“The Zimbabwean diaspora has raised complaints over the failure by Government to issue them with national identity documents, particularly passports. Those with expired passports have bemoaned that they are threatened with loss of employment and deportation from their countries,” said the Ministry.

By ensuring that Diplomatic Missions issue documents, the diaspora community will no longer have to come back to Zimbabwe to renew their documents when they expire. Documents would be submitted and collected at selected Zimbabwean embassies, Harare Post has learnt.