KUWAIT: Interior Ministry's Assistant Undersecretary for Nationality, Passports and Residency Affairs Major General Sheikh Mazen Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah said that the issuance of article 17 passports that are given to bedoons (stateless) will be stopped permanently as soon as the new e-passports are received. Old passports will be phased out gradually, he said.

Stopping of issuing article 17 passports comes according to the international treaty that allows issuing smart passports to citizens of the country only, he said, adding that the department is studying several alternatives to article 17 passports. "There will be a meeting with the central agency for remedying of illegal residents status to speed up the procedures of issuing Comoros passports for them," he explained. - Al-Jarida