Residents of the country strongly criticized the passport distribution based on in-person applications. 

They said that the distribution of passports based on in-person applications is challenging for the public but is easier for those who have a reference. 

Some passport applicants told TOLOnews that due to the overcrowding and cold weather in the night in the General Directorate of Passport, some applicants have died.

Mohammad Jamil and Mohammad Shafi came to Kabul to get passports by in-person application, and they criticized the passport distribution process, saying those who have references are prioritized, they added. 

 “There is the system for the one who has friends and acquaintances, used for identification and permission to get a passport,” Mohammad Jamil said. 

“Passports were being distributed to people who had acquaintances inside the directorate and they were identified and prioritized from the end of the line and those who although they were standing at the top of the line but had no friends and acquaintance, they could not get a passport,” Mohammad Shfi said. 

Some other residents asked the Islamic Emirate to commence the distribution process of passports through in-person applications in the provinces. In obtaining a passport, besides the wasting of their money, their time is also wasted, they said. 

“It has been 14 months since I applied online but I have not received tenure, the online registration is closed in Logar and it will be better if this process starts in Logar as well,” said Noor Wali a resident of Logar. 

“I passed the night in the cold weather too, but it didn’t help. My money was spent and I also got hurt and now I am going back to Logar,” said Mahmoodullah, another resident of Logar.

At the same time, the Ministry of Interior Affairs said that for the solution of problems of people obtaining passports, besides the online application, they have also begun the distribution of passports with in-person applications and almost 20,000 passports are distributed every day. 
 
The spokesman of the ministry, Abdul Matin Qani, denied corruption in both online and in-person distribution of passports, and all the people are treated the same, he said. 

“The daily distribution of passports has reached 20,000, But it is worth mentioning that this density of applicants has not affected the transparency in the passport distribution process,” he added.

This comes as the residents of the country again and again complained about the corruption in the distribution of passports and asked the Islamic Emirate to address the issue.