Throughout 2020, Identity Malta issued 34,157 new e-ID cards, of which 10,697 (31%) were issued in the new card format, the agency said in a statement.
Identity Malta had all hands-on deck during the global pandemic, in order to ensure that clients’ needs were seen to. In fact, the Agency issued 133 emergency travel documents and processed 568 urgent passport requests last year.
Throughout the pandemic, Identity Malta noticed a surge in government e-service activity, activating 76,754 new eID virtual accounts, which is an increase of 87% over 2019. Furthermore, the Agency responded to clients’ request to reset their virtual eID passwords, with 139,464 passwords being reset in 2020.
As expected in the circumstance and due to the travel restrictions in place, there was a marked decrease in requests for e-Passports. In fact, 18,834 new passports were issued in 2020 as opposed to 51,210 passports issued in 2019.
2020 marked Identity Malta’s commitment in protecting citizens’ identity from theft and document forgery. After Malta’s new generation e-Passport was awarded 2020 Best Regional ID Document, Identity Malta enrolled Malta’s new e-ID card, which stands out for its security features.
The new Maltese e-ID card entered circulation last September and was designed to ensure strong performance, longevity as well as durability. It incorporates layers of highly sophisticated security features which makes it extremely difficult to forge or tamper with.
The new identification document also enables bearers to digitally sign documents and securely authenticate one’s identity when accessing e-Government services.
Malta’s new generation e-Passport and e-ID card are issued on new or renewal applications, and existing documents in circulation will remain valid until their expiry date.
---
Quelle/Source: The Malta Independent, 13.05.2021
Bitte besuchen Sie/Please visit:
