KARACHI(National times)- Recent rains in Karachi have not only disrupted daily life but have also severely affected the immigration department at the city’s airport due to staff shortages. For the past three days, long queues of passengers were seen at Karachi airport, with outbound travelers facing the most difficulties. When contacted, Deputy Director Immigration Azhar Javed Raja stated that over 40 international flights operate in a 12-hour period at Karachi Airport. He explained that due to waterlogging on roads during the initial rainfall, many immigration staff members couldn’t reach the airport on time. The staff already present at the airport worked continuously for up to 18 hours. According to the him, handling immigration for 7,000 passengers in a single night is a major challenge. Due to the staff shortage, outbound passengers faced greater issues. To manage the pressure, arrival staff were also deployed at departure counters, and the Deputy Director himself remained present at night to manage the situation. Airport sources said that delays in international departures have become common due to this situation. Passengers cannot proceed to the departure lounge without immigration clearance, which causes flight delays as airlines wait for them to clear the process. Immigration sources revealed that only 12 out of 20 departure counters are currently functional, each staffed by two officers. Similarly, out of 17 arrival counters, only 9 are operational, usually staffed by just one officer each — barely enough to manage the workload. It was also disclosed that out of the 231 immigration staff positions approved years ago for Karachi airport, only 169 are currently filled. With increasing flights and passenger traffic, the shortage of immigration officers is becoming critical. Often, constables and head constables are being assigned to immigration counters as a stopgap measure. Sources added that repeated requests have been made to higher authorities to address the staff shortage. The only viable solution is immediate recruitment of new immigration officers, which now requires urgent attention.