Immigration resumes passport issuance; expects to clear backlog by week’s end

Maldives Immigration Service says it resumed passport at the start of this week, and expects to clear the backlog of pending requests by the end of the week.

A delay in supply of a new stock of passport booklets had forced Immigration to suspend the issuance of new passports and extend the validity of expired passports and issue emergency passports for short-term travel.

The agency received the new stock last weekend.

A spokesperson from Immigration told Sun that the agency resumed issuance of new passports on Sunday. However, priority was given to applicants with more urgent travel needs.

The suspension of passport services created a backlog of over 2,000 applications.

Immigration officers are working overtime to clear the backlog.

“There may be a small delay as we are clearing our backlog. We have been getting messages regarding this. We expect it to get better starting around Thursday. [Officers] are working overtime to clear it,” said the spokesperson.

Homeland Security Minister Ali Ihusan told reporters last week that the suspension of passport services created a backlog of 2,646 applications.