Independent Hajj Reporters has called on Federal government to as a matter of urgent looks into the issue of scarcity of E’- passport booklet in some immigration offices across the county.
Our findings reveals that immigration offices in states like Kaduna, Abuja, Osun and Kano have no standard category e-passport in stock as intending pilgrims are told to capture their biometrics data and come back later for the passport.
The civil society said that the scarcity of E passport is affecting the 2018 hajj pilgrims’ registration process and wants relevant agencies concerned to quickly ensure the availability of the passport.
International passport is a hajj registration and visa requirements as contained in the guidelines issued by NAHCON for the requirements of pilgrims by state pilgrims boards
it will be recalled that NAHCON has set April ending as the deadline for the 2018 hajj pilgrims registration deadline. The scarcity of E-passport booklets will prevents intending pilgrims from being registered by their respective States pilgrims board.
Secondly, Saudi Arabia has made biometric registration compulsory for Umrah and Hajj pilgrims. Without E – passport such will not be possible.
Ibrahim Muhammad
National coordinator
