Handwritten passport ban comes into force today

Refugees and stateless people should still be able to use their travel documents despite a new rule that puts an end to non-machine readable passports, international aviation authorities have said. November 24 marks the deadline that the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) set for countries to no longer accept ‘handwritten’ passports or documents. The move is aimed at speeding up travel and strengthening security. But Palestinians carrying Lebanese travel documents, which are more restrictive than passports and are handwritten in parts, are among those who fear a travel ban. Many UAE residents contacted 7DAYS to express their concerns, including people travelling for work and family events. The ICAO has now said the changes it advised countries about should not apply “to travel documents issued to refugees and stateless persons”, and “temporary travel documents designed for emergency situations”. But a spokeswoman said it could not guarantee states would not interpret the changes differently. 7DAYS was told about one case last month in which a Palestinian traveller arrived in Iraq to be told his documents were no longer valid – ahead of the deadline – forcing him to return to Beirut. “ICAO cannot speak on states’ behalf in this regard, nor confirm how each will precisely interpret or respond to the deadline,” a spokeswoman said. She advised travellers to contact individual states to ensure that they “will be provided suitable passage”. Sudanese and Bangladeshi citizens around the world, including thousands in the UAE, are also affected. But they are able to apply for new machine-readable passports from their embassies. Lebanon has yet to comment on whether it will issue new documents for Palestinians, but a source close to the Lebanese Consulate in Dubai said Beirut has told the ICAO that they will not be able to meet today’s deadline. The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority earlier said it is still to decide on whether it will extend the deadline. Palestinian Siham Al Najmi, 31, who works for an international NGO, said she the situation is still uncertain for her and thousands of expats. She said: “This has always been the case with us, holders of Palestinian travel documents, no one provides a clear-cut answer. Someone needs to step up and take action – either issue a statement regarding protracted refugees, like Palestine refugees of Lebanon, or for Lebanon to issue proper documents.” wafa.issa@7days.ae