The Minister of the Interior, Sebastião Martins, said on Tuesday that the services of issuing passports and visas for missionaries serving the Church in Angola are assured. Sebastião Martins, who spoke exclusively to the Emissora Católica of Angola, explained that the Migration and Foreigners Service has created mechanisms to facilitate the care of missionaries.

"I was honored to receive a bishop in my office that responds at CEAST in this area, where we address all the concerns about what is the need to give special treatment and differential in relation to the migratory movement of the missionaries and all who come the service of evangelization and the action of the Catholic Church in particular, and to create inclusive facilities, there are no constraints, there is also a focal point that was indicated by the direction of the SME in charge of meeting all these cases "- guaranteed.

"Right now the situation is rectified, we have an excellent relationship with the Church, we are Catholics, came from the church, continue to profess our deep faith and belief in God and the Catholic Church, and we see ourselves in the good practices that the Catholic Church argues and that also here in the SME should be implemented "- confirmed.

The Interior Minister also said that regarding the SME there there is a great effort to combat illegal immigration that has organized networks from abroad. The governor defends a political or diplomatic action in the neighboring countries in order to discourage its citizens to immigrate illegally to Angola.

"There are organized networks, we have constantly denounced the ease with which these networks are to organize and act on neighboring countries. There are even organizations identified in the DRC and Congo Brazzaville that foster, agencies that are behind this illegal migration pressure. "

Sebastião Martins also spoke of the modernization of services provided to citizens, such as the issuance of a passport online.

"Today the citizen enters its application for issuance of passport and with one click you can know exactly how the Internet is the act of issuing your passport in real time" - he explained.

Source: Apostolado, April 19, 2012