UAE | General

Pakistanis face prolonged wait for new passports

Introduction of machine-readable travel documents tests patience of applicants at consulate in Dubai

  • By Ashfaq Ahmed, Chief Reporter, Gulf News
  • Published: 00:00 November 16, 2009
  • Gulf News

  • Image Credit: Atiq-ur-Rehman/Gulf News
  • Amjad Ali Sher -Pakistani Consul General in Dubai

Dubai Pakistanis are facing long delays to renew their passports as their consulate general in Dubai has restricted issuance of hand-written passports.

The decision to phase out the old passports has led to a huge rush at the consulate with hundreds of people queuing up from early morning waiting for their turn in a congested consular service hall that is clearly inadequate to cater to such a large number of applicants.

Between 1,000 and 12,000 people visit the consulate every day for various services. The consulate receives around 400 applications for passport renewal on average each day. "We encourage everyone to apply for Machine Readable Passports (MRPs) whether his or her passport has expired or not because we have restricted the issuance of the old manual passports which are now issued in genuine emergency cases or for newborns," said Amjad Ali Sher, the Pakistani Consul General in Dubai.

Shift system on anvil

Pakistani missions will completely stop issuing manual passports from June next year.

"It will be mandatory for all to have MRPs by June 30, 2010 and no one without the MRP will be able to travel," the Consul General told Gulf News.

Sher said the consulate is actively considering double shifts to cope with the increasing number of applicants. "We are finalising the plan and will soon announce the details about the new working hours for morning and evening shifts," he said.

The consulate, which caters to the community in Dubai and the northern emirates, has failed to upgrade facilities in keeping with the community's growth from a mere 200,000 individuals to more than 800,000.

The new requirements will further add to the rush as all applicants including women and children have to come in person to apply for MRPs because of fingerprinting and digital photo requirements for biometric passports. Data is electronically printed on the MRP and it cannot be forged because it also contains a chip with information about the passport holder. The new travel document is also expected to check human trafficking.

However, passport applicants are not impressed. "The consulate should make arrangements to accommodate such a large number of visitors," said Kabir Ahmad, adding that he had to wait for four hours to process his passport application.

"There is also hardly any space for women and children in the crowd who have to wait in the cramped room which is always full of male applicants," said a female applicant. She said it was downright embarrassing that no priority had been accorded to female applicants and called on the consulate to make suitable arrangements for female applicants.

The consulate had started the MRP service in 2005 and manual passports were to be gradually phased out but the ease of getting manual passports hasn't made its task any easier.

Frequent travellers: 100-page books on cards

Pakistani missions in the UAE will start issuing 100-page passports for frequent travellers within a few days, a senior official said.

"We are set to introduce 100-page passports especially [for] those who frequently travel and the truck drivers who operate in the GCC and run out of passport pages very fast," said Amjad Ali Sher, Consul General of Pakistan in Dubai. Currently, the consulate issues normal 36-page passports besides 72-page passports to businessmen.

Comments (13)

  1. Added 11:42 November 17, 2009

    I want to share the few things, 1 : Loaction: Bar budai is on of the expensevie place for renting a building like consulate, its better to shift in new area like Mirdif, Qusais or any cheap area with parkiing facilty. 2 : Apply online for any kind of facilty and provide the appointment. 3 : provide the separte counter for kids and Women. 4 : The staff should have good manners. 5: Female staff is better then male staff in customer servies. 6: The consuler have to visit in every two hours to check the staff only for 5 Minuts. Thanks

    Amjad Khan, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  2. Added 22:13 November 16, 2009

    Honorable Ambassodar told soon they announce new working hours for morning and evening shifts. Its a good decision, but i request as soon as possible they start. I also suggest they also open councelor service in Sharjah Pakistan community center.

    Anonymous, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

  3. Added 18:26 November 16, 2009

    i had a chance to visit pakistan consulate in dubai to renew my wife passport. The whole process was very smoth and she got her renewed manual passport in one day for space avaiable in consulate i have to comment that the consulate should move to a new premisis bigger than the existing one with modern facilities where ladies have separate counters and should be attended by ladies staff.

    Mohsin, Sharjah, Pakistan

  4. Added 18:19 November 16, 2009

    The building needs a complete renovation as i have seen old portcabins used at the NADRA ID section. Since we are living in a modern standardized society, the services and environment provided at our embassy should also be of world class. Online appointment system is of utmost importance to avoid unnecessary delays. A couple of days should be allocated only for families. There aren't enough seating arrangements for the number of people visitng the embassy. Important announcements related to non-working days or holidays should be updated on a website where people would make appointments. It takes more than 2 hours for just applying for a new passport, hence, a mechanism should be developed where applicant time can be saved. Hopefully we will see improvements soon.

    Othman Tarek, Ajman, United Arab Emirates

  5. Added 14:48 November 16, 2009

    In support to new Computerized Passport, I would like to suggest and forward my comments to Mr. Amjad Ali Sher -Pakistani Consul General in Dubai to introduce a web "Appointment" system that allows our Pakistan Community to get an appointmnet time as presently followed by UAE government for ID cards which makes all the process to run in control very effectively and efficiently. Families & ladies can be granted with evening times where other indiviuals should visit in morning sessions.

    Mohammad Faruq, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  6. Added 14:37 November 16, 2009

    I had a chance to visit PCG recently and want to point out the condition of the NADRA office which was more than "Incongruous" the furniture and the computer sysmtems being used by the staff were totatlly outdated. I believe those type of monitors are no longer being used even in a small town in Pakistan. I would suggest CG, please spend some money and provide modern age office furniture and computer accessories to your staff as well as the peaceful office environment, it would automatically enhance the productivity of your staff. If you are living in the modern age and community then you should try to cope with the requirement of that community. We hope CG will try to put its best to improve and take our constructive criticism in a positive manner. Inshallah

    Ahmad Masoom, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  7. Added 13:58 November 16, 2009

    My experience for renewing the passport was very smooth. But i am very concerned about the ladies designated area. They should hire temp students and work on the backlog.

    Ali Zaheer, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  8. Added 11:57 November 16, 2009

    Delay in renewel of Passport at Pakistani consulate The consulate general of Pakistan must find out a way to renewel of passport for small childern, women and old people, who has to come and also stand in queue with all men for hours, where pushing and touching each other is very common. They must if possible charge a higher fees and employ additional staff to serve this special catogery. Pakistani consulate is here to serve the community, who are always working for the progess of the nation and the pakistani community in Dubai must be serve better.

    Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  9. Added 10:19 November 16, 2009

    i am not satisfied with the services provided by pakistani consulate.we have to take a day off to visit consulate for any small job because the staff and the system is very lazy.all the procedures are complicated and mismanaged.i would like to advice CG to increse the working hours like evening shifts for people who would like to come after office hours and also work on weekends like friday and saturdays.this will be more conveniant and degnefied.

    Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  10. Added 09:48 November 16, 2009

    Issuing a new passport for my recently born child had been a smooth process. the manual passport was issued within couple of hours. the staff is helpful and co-operative but adequate facilities should be provided for the ladies as there is hardly any desiganted area for them and makes them feel awkward and uncomfortable.

    Kashif Pasha, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    11. View more comments

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