Government must explain passport delays before Christmas

OPPOSITION Leader Penelope Beckles is demanding answers from the Government over passport delays, saying members of the public seeking appointments are being given dates as far away as April 27, 2027, despite the Government’s announcement that it was expecting to receive 100,000 machine-readable passports by the end of this year.

Beckles questioned whether the Homeland Security Ministry had received the 48,000 passports expected in September, and what measures were being taken to address the growing frustration among applicants.

Speaking at an Opposition news conference yesterday at the Office of the Opposition Leader in Port of Spain, she recalled that the ministry had announced receiving 50,000 machine-readable passports in October 2025 and another 12,000 in June 2026, with a further 48,000 expected in September.