Over 1,000 passport applications received in four days

Hundreds more thronged the passport office this morning.

The Central Immigration and Passport Office received over 1,000 applications for passports over the previous four days due largely to the “misconception” by applicants that the fee is slated to be increased, Deputy Chief Immigration Officer Dale Alves says.

Assistant Commissioner Alves told Stabroek News that in light of the drastic increase in passport applicants, officers at the Passport Office questioned several persons, who relayed to them that the sole reason for them applying was because they heard the price was going to increase from its current cost of $4,000 to $20,000 from May 1.

After lines of persons extending along the Camp Road outside of the passport office had attracted the public’s attention and the reason was rumoured to be the alleged increase in passport fees,