Barran Press
Yemen's internationally recognized Prime Minister, Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, made a surprise visit to the Immigration and Passport Office in the Crater district of Aden, the country's interim capital, on Thursday, July 11, 2024.
According to the official Yemeni news agency Saba, the Prime Minister's surprise visit aimed to "monitor the implementation of directives to facilitate passport issuance for citizens and address shortcomings in processing their applications."
During the visit, bin Mubarak assessed the implementation of his previous directives to streamline citizen applications, prevent brokerage and extortion, hold accountable those who failed to comply, improve operations, ensure direct interaction with citizens, and expedite passport issuance.
Bin Mubarak inquired with citizens present at the office about the improvement in application processing, speed of passport issuance, and the procedures and facilities provided compared to his previous visit.
The Prime Minister reiterated his call for citizens to "report any extortion or mistreatment they encounter," emphasizing that "everyone, regardless of their position or title, is responsible for serving the citizen."
Office officials reported that several employees were dismissed for exploiting citizens and referred to the relevant authorities. They also highlighted measures such as allowing citizens direct access to the office, preventing intermediaries, printing delayed passports, daily attendance, meeting with citizens, and listening to their complaints.
The Prime Minister also spoke with several individuals with pending applications, listening to their observations and impressions about the services provided and their duration. He instructed the Ministry of Interior to address any delays in delivering passport books and ensure sufficient quantities to prevent backlogs in citizen applications.
In a previous surprise visit on February 14, 2024, bin Mubarak visited the Aden Immigration and Passport Office shortly after assuming his role as Prime Minister. He met with citizens who had pending applications, listening to their experiences with procedures, services, and treatment, including passport issuance.
At that time, he instructed authorities to address shortcomings, respond to citizen feedback regarding application processing, and improve services provided.
On February 5, 2024, the Presidential Leadership Council in Yemen, headed by Rashad Al-Alimi, appointed Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak as the new Prime Minister of the internationally recognized government, replacing the previous Prime Minister, Maeen Abdulmalik, who previously served as Foreign Minister and Minister for Expatriate Affairs.