Authorities of Lebanon have stopped accepting applications for passport renewals, claiming that they are unable to keep up with demand as the country’s economic crisis worsens, causing people to flee.
The Lebanese General Security has announced that passport renewals would be suspended beginning this week, and that its stock of passports will only support existing applicants.
The news has fueled suspicions that authorities are determined to prevent people from leaving Lebanon, so restricting their freedom of movement.
Director-General of General Security, Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim, said: “The passport application platform has scheduled appointments until April 2023, and passports will be delivered to all those who have already applied until that date.”
Since 2020, Lebanese have been hurrying to obtain biometric passports, with renewal requests ten times greater than in previous years.
Locals anticipated an increase in passport fees and hastened to obtain new documents, while expats used their vacations in Lebanon to renew their passports for under $35, avoiding the $200 or $300 fee necessary at Lebanese embassies abroad.
According to a survey conducted by the General Directorate of General Security, 69 percent of persons received passports without using them, and around 20,000 citizens renewed their passports in 2021, despite the fact that their documents were due to expire in two years.
The inquiry also discovered that over 15,000 passports were issued but never claimed by their owners.
In February, new passport renewal standards that some thought were impossible to achieve were issued.
The requirements included having a valid residency abroad, a valid visa affixed to the passport to be renewed, an embassy appointment within a month of submitting the application, or evidence of continuing studies abroad, or medical reports if the purpose of renewing the passport is to continue treatment abroad, or showing a signed work contract and necessary documents if the purpose is to work abroad.
Furthermore, the biometric passport fee was doubled from 300,000 Lebanese pounds ($200) to 600,000 Lebanese pounds (valid for five years) and from 500,000 to 1.2 million Lebanese pounds (valid for 10 years).
For the latest International News Follow BOL News on Google News. Read more on Latest International News on oldsite.bolnews.com
