Published : 25-02-2022
Palestinian refugees have denounced the complicated red tape pursued by the migration and passports department run by the General Authority for Palestinian Arab Refugees (GAPAR) in Ein Kersh, in Damascus, south of Syria.
An AGPS reporter said the platform established by the Syrian government to allegedly help curtail corruption has only made the situation worse.
A refugee told AGPS that the platform suffers chronic technical problems and operates for no more than five minutes in the morning. “Getting an appointment is almost impossible due to internet and power blackouts”, he said.
A number of staffers reportedly ask for a sum of money of 100USD to give an appointment as they have booked earlier appointments using fake names. To issue a passport for a relative abroad a sum of 200 USD is required. Consular fees also cost 300USD to be paid through the Commercial Bank of Syria.
Urgently-needed passports are issued in exchange for 800 USD. Another 200 USD is paid to the staffer.
Director of the migration and passports department Major General Khaled Hadid stated that 12 people were arrested in 2021 for bribery. The head of an immigration branch along with a number of staff members, in addition to 23 policemen and an officer were brought before court for bribery.
Palestinian refugees have denounced the complicated red tape pursued by the migration and passports department run by the General Authority for Palestinian Arab Refugees (GAPAR) in Ein Kersh, in Damascus, south of Syria.
An AGPS reporter said the platform established by the Syrian government to allegedly help curtail corruption has only made the situation worse.
A refugee told AGPS that the platform suffers chronic technical problems and operates for no more than five minutes in the morning. “Getting an appointment is almost impossible due to internet and power blackouts”, he said.
A number of staffers reportedly ask for a sum of money of 100USD to give an appointment as they have booked earlier appointments using fake names. To issue a passport for a relative abroad a sum of 200 USD is required. Consular fees also cost 300USD to be paid through the Commercial Bank of Syria.
Urgently-needed passports are issued in exchange for 800 USD. Another 200 USD is paid to the staffer.
Director of the migration and passports department Major General Khaled Hadid stated that 12 people were arrested in 2021 for bribery. The head of an immigration branch along with a number of staff members, in addition to 23 policemen and an officer were brought before court for bribery.
