Kurdistan’s passport offices resume work after technical problems
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Passport offices in the Kurdistan Region can resume issuing Iraqi passports after the network connection between the Region and central authorities in Baghdad has been reactivated, ten days after it was stopped due to technical issues. This connection is necessary for issuing passports.
“The passport transactions resumed in Sulaimani on Wednesday and the system will be reactivated in Erbil tomorrow, too,” Didar Omer, head of Erbil Passport Department, told Rudaw.
Passport-related work had stopped across the Kurdistan Region on September 24 because of technical problems with the network, officials said at the time.
Since the start of the year, 68,132 passports have been issued in Erbil province.
The passport network was severed a day before Kurdistan defied Baghdad’s opposition and held its referendum on independence from Iraq. After the vote, Baghdad announced measures against the Region, including flight bans, shutting borders, and deploying troops to disputed areas.
“The passport transactions resumed in Sulaimani on Wednesday and the system will be reactivated in Erbil tomorrow, too,” Didar Omer, head of Erbil Passport Department, told Rudaw.
Passport-related work had stopped across the Kurdistan Region on September 24 because of technical problems with the network, officials said at the time.
Since the start of the year, 68,132 passports have been issued in Erbil province.
The passport network was severed a day before Kurdistan defied Baghdad’s opposition and held its referendum on independence from Iraq. After the vote, Baghdad announced measures against the Region, including flight bans, shutting borders, and deploying troops to disputed areas.