Lilongwe, July 19 (IANS): Malawian passport applicants became violent, throwing stones at immigration offices in Lilongwe and damaging vehicles in protest to delays in attending to applicants.

Police intervened with teargas on Thursday, according to eyewitnesses. One witness told Xinhua news agency that the situation got out of hand when the officers allowed and attended to some individuals who had jumped the long queue, leaving other applicants unattended.

The chaos came a week after the country's anti-graft body stormed the immigration offices following investigations. Eight officers and two civilians were arrested on corruption charges in issuing passports, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to the anti-corruption bureau, applicants were made to pay five times the designated cost of passports, contrary to the country's laws.

Meanwhile, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services has had a backlog of passport applications since 2021, with hundreds of passport seekers queuing at the offices daily.