Indian passport applicants in UAE queue at Embassy in Abu Dhabi, Consulate in Dubai after 17 years

Abu Dhabi/Dubai: For the first time in 17 years, hundreds of Indian expats in the UAE queued up without appointments at their embassy and consulate on Thursday to submit passport applications in person, a scene unseen since India first outsourced its overseas consular services here in 2009.

The Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General in Dubai threw open their own premises for walk-in, first-come-first-served consular services between 9am and 12.30pm from July 2.

This happened after their outsourcing partners BLS International and SGIVS Global shut shop as their contracts ended, and the scheduled launch of the much-awaited unified consular centres, Indian Consular Application Centres (ICACs), by Alhind Tours and Travels LLC on July 1 was delayed.

Hundreds of applicants seeking passport, attestation and other consular services turned up at both missions during the limited window, with staff from various departments joined by community volunteers to manage the crowds. Officials continued working till late evening to clear applications received before 12.30pm.

While the temporary arrangement with new rules to avail consular services was announced by the Indian missions late on Wednesday citing administrative reasons, Gulf News can reveal that the disruption is rooted in a legal battle in Delhi, not a routine administrative reshuffle.

Alhind had been picked as the single service provider to run the new ICACs from July 1. But two bidders, E Trav Tech and Verasys, moved Delhi High Court seeking detailed breakup of marks awarded during the technical evaluation, along with the reasoning behind their disqualification.

Though the legal fight escalated to the Supreme Court, the apex court on June 24 ordered status quo and asked the Delhi High Court to hear the matter urgently once again.

With the Delhi High Court's multiple hearings yet to yield a ruling on interim relief, Alhind remains unable to formally step in, leaving embassy and consulate staff to fill the gap temporarily.

Those queuing on Thursday were also among the first to pay India's revised passport fees, effective July 1, with cash the only accepted mode at the missions.

A regular renewal now costs Dh450, up from Dh285, a near 60 per cent jump, the first major revision since 2012.

The hike has alarmed low-income workers, who form roughly 60 to 70 per cent of the UAE's 4.5 million-strong Indian community.

Community volunteers have called the hike a shock for blue-collar expats and low-income families, urging concessional rates. They have asked the Ministry of External Affairs to revise the fee and offer a 50 per cent reduction for at least workers holding Emigration Clearance Required (ECR) passports.