As part of the new normal in relation to the post COVID-19 pandemic regarding health restrictions in place, especially social distancing, the Ministry of Employment, Immigration and Civil Status has taken necessary steps to control the inflow of people coming for services among others.

The Customer Service Centre, based on the ground floor of Independence House and ran by the department of Immigration and Civil Status, is, as of yesterday, allowing only twelve clients at any one time inside the centre to seek assistance.

The principal secretary for Immigration and Civil Status, Alain Volcère, said that it was necessary to make changes in view of the many people that visit the centre on a daily basis, so as to comply with the health regulations still in place.

Services offered by the departments of immigration and civil status on Praslin are now available under one roof at the island’s new customer service centre, located at the Pension Fund Complex at Grand Anse.

This comes after the immigration office, which was previously based at the Baie Ste Anne community centre, closed its doors a few weeks ago and shifted all of its operations to join the civil status office at the customer service centre at Grand Anse.

Birth and death registrations, civil weddings and other civil status related services can now be accessed alongside immigration services such as passport applications and renewals, visitors’ permits, dependent permits, student permits as well as gainful occupation permits.

According to the officer in charge of the customer service centre, Marie-Liza Lesperance, the centre had planned to introduce the production of identity cards by the end of March this year but this new service has been delayed due to the pandemic.

Following President Danny Faure’s announcements in relation to increases in certain categories of the gainful occupation permit, financial contribution of foreign workers to the local pension scheme, among others, employment minister and her team have given more details on the declarations.

This was during a meeting with the media on Tuesday afternoon.