In this Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2015 photo, an employee delivers new passports at the main Baghdad Passport office in the Iraqi capital, which has seen a marked increase on requests for travel documents. Iraqis have begun to join Syrians, Afghans, Eritreans and others in the largest tide of migrants since World War II.(AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)
Following claims by journalist
Iraqi interior ministry denies reports of issuing fake passports, citizenship to foreigners
BAGHDAD — The Iraqi Interior Ministry has disputed claims circulating on social media that its civil status directorates issued Iraqi citizenship and 10,000 fraudulent passports and documents to foreigners.
The allegations arose after Iraqi journalist Lamia Rasool, appearing on Al-Sumaria on Jan. 9 and later interviewed by freelance journalist Haidar Al-Hamdan on Jan. 17, said her investigation revealed that more than 10,000 passports and nationality certificates had been granted to non-Iraqis through offices in Basra, Kirkuk and Sulaymaniyah.
In a statement, the ministry refuted the accusations, saying, “The specialized directorates within the ministry have not recorded such a number of forgery cases. There were only two cases discovered in 2022 by a dedicated committee, and appropriate legal measures were taken against those responsible.”
The ministry claimed that the Directorate of Civil Status, Passports and Residency relies on advanced electronic systems to prevent tampering, noting that “passports undergo multiple stages of scrutiny before being issued” and that each applicant must first obtain a national identification card, which also undergoes thorough checks.
The ministry called on individuals with evidence to submit it directly to authorities rather than relying on social media. It said it has opened an investigation into the video allegations and will release a detailed report within a week. “If the allegations are proven false, legal actions will be taken against the individual making these accusations,” the ministry’s statement concluded.
During her interviews, Rasool alleged certain entities were aiding the naturalization of “operatives” and wanted individuals at the request of foreign actors. “I uncovered the connections, provided all the evidence to the Interior Ministry, and they confirmed and later verified everything,” Rasool said in her discussion with Al-Hamdan. “Follow-up action must come from the Interior Ministry.”