701 Diplomatic, Service Passports cancelled by Foreign Affairs Ministry

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has cancelled 701 Diplomatic and Service passports. This is part of a nationwide recall of official travel documents.

On Tuesday, the ministry issued a statement about the cancellations. The affected passports include 341 unreturned Diplomatic passports and 360 Service passports. These passports are now on a stop-list and cannot be used for international travel.

This cancellation follows announcements made on January 15 and March 10, 2025. Former officials were instructed to return their official passports.

The affected individuals include:
- Former Ministers and their spouses
- Former Members of Parliament
- Former Council of State members and spouses
- Retired Justices of the Superior and Lower Courts
- Former Regional Ministers, MMDCEs, and board members
- Officials of the National Cathedral Project
- Former non-career ambassadors and their dependents
- Religious leaders, traditional leaders, businesspersons, and former government functionaries

The ministry emphasized that all affected passports must be confiscated if found in use. They warned of strict enforcement at entry and exit points.

This measure aims to ensure compliance with the Passports and Travel Certificates Act, 1967 (NLCD 155). It particularly focuses on sections 6 and 7, which regulate the issuance and use of official passports.