In economically troubled Zimbabwe, a passport is at the top of many people’s wish lists – while passport offices are experiencing a rush ahead of a price increase planned for the new year.
– The only thing that can make my Christmas happy is if I manage to get a passport, says father of three Nolan Mukona, who got up at dawn to stand in line at the passport office in the capital, Harare.
But when Nolan Mukona arrived at 5 o’clock there were already over 100 people in line. Some had spent the night outside the office.
The desperation is great, as the price increase is feared to mean that people will no longer be able to afford passports – at a time when the gloomy economy is increasing migration.
For many, a US$120 passport was already expensive in a country where the majority struggle to put food on the table. The plan was to raise the price to $200 by 2024 – which sparked an outcry when the Treasury presented the proposal. The new price was later reduced to $150. This corresponds to over SEK 1,500, which can be a monthly salary or more for many people in the country.
Several million Zimbabweans are estimated to have left the country over the past two decades. After long-time president Robert Mugabe was ousted in 2017, hopes for a better life were raised. But as hopes fade, migration has picked up new momentum.