Staff Reporter
VARIOUS ministries, offices and agencies have set out new directives following the declaration of a State of Emergency by the Head of State.
These Directives have also been tailored to the operations of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security with a specific aim to limit the movements of both its staff and the public and to prevent overcrowding at front line offices.
In this regard the home affairs ministry requested the public to take note of measures that came into effect this week. The measures may be reviewed, and changes will be communicated through official notices from the Office of the Executive Director if the situation changes.
The ministry reminded people to be mindful of the State of Emergency and the lockdown of the Khomas and Erongo Regions.
“We will have very few staff members in the offices as many of our staff members must stay at home. These measures are aimed at contributing to the collaborative effort to stop the spread of Covid-19. We therefore urge you to also stay at home and only visit our offices for services listed herein as essential services and emergencies.
Below are State of Emergency operational arrangements for the functions of Civil Registration and Identity Management; Immigration and Border Control; and Refugee Management.
A: CIVIL REGISTRATION AND IDENTITY MANAGEMENT
Al: OPERATIONS IN THE “LOCKED DOWN” REGIONS
The following Offices will be closed for general operations:
Erongo Region
i. Erongo Regional Office, Erongo Region
ii. Omaruru Sub-Regional Office
iii. Usakos Sub-Regional Office
iv. Walvis Bay Sub-Regional Office
Khomas Region
i. Khomas Regional Office
ii. Okahandja Sub-Regional Office
iii. Rehoboth Sub-Regional Office
iv. Windhoek, Head Office, Civil Registration Department
[Although Rehoboth and Okahandja are not in the Khomas Region, for the purpose of the lockdown they are treated to be part ofthe Khomas Region.]
The Offices listed above will only provide the following essential services:
a. Birth registration for newborn babies, and
b. Death registration for current deaths.
All the Hospital-Based Offices in the locked down regions will be closed and functions performed there will be temporarily assigned to the Sub-Regional or Regional Offices listed in paragraphs 4.1 and 4.2 above.
A2: OPERATIONS OUTSIDE THE LOCKED DOWN REGIONS
Birth Registration Services
– All hospital-based facilities will be temporarily closed.
– Birth registration of newborn babies will continue but only at Regional and SubRegional Offices.
– In order to avoid overcrowding behind the counters, only one (1) counter for birth registration will remain open at each regional office or sub-regional office.
– Late birth registration is suspended.
Death Registration Services
– Death registration services will continue for deaths that are occurring now.
– Late death registration is suspended.
Applications for Identification Documents (IDs)
ID registration is suspended.
Issuance of duplicate national documents
The issuance of duplicate birth certificates, death certificates and IDs is suspended.
If there are emergency applications that will require a deviation from this directive, a written motivation must be made to civil.registration@mha.gov.na. Members of the public who have no access to email can submit hard copies at the counters countrywide.
B: IMMIGRATION AND BORDER CONTROL
Foreign nationals wishing to depart from Namibia, may do so.
The temporary travel ban is still in place for all Namibians and Permanent Residents of Namibia wishing to depart from Namibia. Permission must be obtained prior to departure from Namibia. Application forms are available at our counters, border posts and may be requested via covid19@mha.gov.na. No exit will be facilitated without prior permission to do so. Permission to travel will only be granted for essential travel.
For those who wish to leave Namibia, please ascertain that you will be allowed entry in your country of destination before you seek to depart from Namibia. Your departure from Namibia is at own risk. Please note:
If you are not Namibian or Permanent Resident of Namibia who departs from Namibia but are denied entry into your country of destination, you will not be allowed entry back into Namibia.
If you are a Namibian or Permanent Resident of Namibia who departs from Namibia but are denied entry into your country of destination you will be subjected to mandatory quarantine at own cost (State-quarantine or self quarantine at the discretion of health officials) upon re-admission to Namibia.
In addition to the Border Posts that have been closed as per the Cabinet Directive, Oranjemund, Sendelingsdrift, Klein Manasse, Verlooftdrift and Mata Mata Border Posts are also temporarily closed for three months to correspond with the decision of the Republic of South Africa.
At all our Offices only one immigration counter will remain open for submission of the following applications:
– The extension of visas and permits for those who are unable to leave the country at the expiry of their visas or permits due to the State of Emergency. (Those who are currently illegal in the country must not use this process to regularise their illegal presence in Namibia; immigration laws will apply in those cases.)
– Permission to travel out of Namibia for (Namibians and Permanent Residents)
No applications for permits and visas (except those in paragraph 16) will be considered as meetings of the Immigration Selection Board and its Committees are suspended. If there are urgent matters, those will be a deviation from these directives and must be properly motivated to the Chief of Immigration for onward transmission to Chairperson of the Immigration Selection Board.
Meetings of the Immigration Tribunals country-wide are suspended.
If there are emergency applications that will require a deviation from this directive, a written motivation must be made to the Chief of Immigration.
The contact e-mail address for emergencies is: nehemia.nghishekwa@mha.gov.na
C: REFUGEE ADMINISTRATION
All services are suspended.
The only service that will be open at Osire is the issuance of exit permits from the Settlement. These exit permits will only be issued when a resident of Osire seeks to leave the Settlement for medical treatment, banking services or attending a funeral of a close family member.
No visitors are allowed to the Osire Settlement.
No new asylum seekers may be admitted in the Settlement.
Meetings of the Namibia Refugee Committee and the Namibia Refugee Appeals Boards are suspended.
The contact e-mail address for emergencies is: Commissioner.refugee@mha.gov.na
The ministry reminded people that it is their collective responsibility to ensure that the Covid-19 is contained and to stay at home.
