St Kitts and Nevis (WINN): The Passport Office in the Ministry of National Security is slamming claims about the questionable issuance of passports as false, unfounded and malicious.
A press release issued by the Ministry of National Security stated:
“The issuance of passports in St Kitts and Nevis is a controlled process with a number of independent stages, each requiring its own independent verification and certification process. Our procedures are compliant with the international standards to ensure the integrity and the continued confidence in our travel document”.
The Ministry condemned media stories that alleged that the authorities in St. Maarten confiscated over 105 new St. Kitts and Nevis passports being carried by citizens of the Dominican Republic, and that the St. Maarten authorities sent the passports to the authorities in St. Kitts and Nevis.
“The Ministry of National Security wishes to inform the general public that to date, the authorities in St Maarten have not advised the Government of St Kitts and Nevis of any incident surrounding passengers holding St Kitts and Nevis passports or passports found. Further, the authorities in St. Maarten have not sent any confiscated passports to the authorities in St. Kitts and Nevis contrary to the media reports, ” the authorities stated..
“Our Security Chiefs contacted their counterparts in St Maarten when these allegations surfaced. The St. Maarten authorities denied any knowledge of such happenings or any untoward development relating to our passports.
The Ministry of National Security remains undeterred in its efforts to ensure that passport processing procedures are highly reliable and in accordance with international best practices,” the statement concluded.
