UK passport renewals backlog scandal goes viral

Expats living or working overseas and those planning to emigrate are in panic mode due to the British Passport Office’s inability to clear a massive backlog of new and renewal applications.

The sheer inefficiency and inconvenience of the recently changed application process combined with the increase in residents’ passport applications before the summer holiday season has resulted in massive delays of up to four months. UK residents ar being forced to cancel their holidays, expats overseas are unable to renew their visas, and those with an emigration date may need to delay.

The Daily Mail and Guardian are showing images of conference rooms stacked with red boxes containing delayed applications, stoking rumours that, as UK-based applications are stored in white boxes, expat applications are being sidelined in favour of holidaymakers. The BBC’s news page states Theresa May is denying the issue, whilst trade unions are claiming a backlog of 500,000 applications and threatening to strike.

Expats living outside the EU can expect delays of at least two months, with those in farther-flung Asian destinations experiencing up to three-month waits before their new passports are issued The late-breaking of the scandal has meant that many may be unable to renew their work or retirement visas on the due dates, with the possibility of deportation or hefty overstay fees looming large.

Reports now state that copies of original passports can be sent although, once an application is made, these are no longer valid for travel. Expats working overseas are concerned that, in the case of a family emergency, they may not be able to return home in time to give assistance.

Expat forum threads report expensive,ongoing international telephone calls with no results, and overseas workers are already stating they are stuck abroad with no means of travel. One such UK expat worker in Sri Lanka has been waiting for 10 weeks since his contract finished, and has been told his application is not yet in the processing stage.