Lebanese line up in endless queues to renew passports

The situation in Lebanon remains chaotic due to the economic crisis.

Lebanese citizens create endless queues for fuel but also to renew their passports to leave the country, AnsaMed reports.

According to media reports by Lebanese General Security officials, the state structure in charge of issuing identity cards and travel documents has seen an unprecedented increase in the number of passport renewal applications in recent months, tripling in some offices. .

Videos and photos circulating on social media show long lines in Beirut of people waiting for hours before the daily opening of the General Security headquarters to make urgent passport applications.

"Since mid-June, we have issued more than 6,000 passports a day," said General Ramzi Rami, head of the public relations department of the General Security, quoted by L'Orient-Le Jour. Rami also referred to the approximately 400 passports issued daily by mail. About 240,000 travel documents were issued between July and August alone.