Migrations clarifies the reason for the lack of passports: “During 2020 they were not purchased”

The Superintendent of Migration, Jorge Fernández, said that this April they will receive about 80,000 passports in advance to be able to cover with the high demand after the chaos that occurred last Monday at Jorge Chavez airport due to the lack of the document. Thus, he also assured that responsibility for this fact did not fully lie with the current authorities, but instead shielded himself in the fact that no booklet purchases were made throughout 2020.

“The last purchase of passports was made in 2019 and the next purchase made was in November 2021. That is, during 2020 no passport acquisition was made,” he said in an interview with Canal N.

He indicated that this fact would have somewhat shortened the supply of booklets, since in 2020 passports that had been purchased in 2019 were delivered. He also pointed out that so far this year 2022, the passports being delivered are those acquired in a contract in February of this year, following the process that began in November 2021.

“The responsibilities of the case have to be analysed by the appropriate instances. (...) There is a duty of supervision, but the superintendents do not necessarily have a responsibility,” he said, when asked who would be responsible for the chaos that has been experienced in recent days.

THEY WILL RECEIVE 80,000 PASSPORTS IN APRIL

The superintendent pointed out that so far about 12,000 passports have been handed over to citizens. In addition, he said that they will receive 80,000 notebooks by the end of the month.

According to a control report by the Comptroller's Office, prepared from September 30, 2021 to February 8, 2022, it was recorded that more than 77,000 citizens paid for a passport, despite the fact that there were only 63,230 notebooks in stock. This means that 13,770 people did not receive the service and product they paid for.

“Since we took office, we have coordinated with the passport provider. I had the obligation to deliver 300 thousand contributions on May 13, the advance delivery of notebooks so, without yet knowing the existence of this study of the Comptroller's Office, to meet the expectations that the population and the constitutional right to have a passport,” explained Fernández.

Thus, he reported that on Monday, April 11, they received 16,000 passports, which has already made it possible to deliver multiple notebooks to citizens.

“On Monday we delivered 1,350 passports; on Tuesday, 950 passports; on Wednesday, 900 passports and on Thursday, 824 passports,” he said.

With this, he said that they would have already met the demand for the 77,000 passports requested and paid by people.

STATES THAT PASSPORTS WILL NO LONGER BE LACKING FOR THE PROCEDURES

The representative of the National Superintendency of Migration said that they have already done the analysis of this case and are managing the purchase of more passports to avoid scenarios such as those experienced at Jorge Chavez Airport and on the outskirts of the Breña headquarters.

“We are analyzing all the circumstances. We've done the analysis of the case. Since the first day we took over management, we have been in discussions with the supplier and the supplier is giving us advance passports. We are meeting the demand (last with about) 80 thousand passports that we are going to receive before the end of the month,” he explained.

With this figure, according to Jorge Fernández, there will be enough stock for three months of delivery. In those three months, in addition, 604,000 more passports will be received. Thus, it is planned that by the month of June people will be able to be attended without an appointment and would receive their passport on the same day of application.

KEEP READING