The Civil Status, Passports and Residency Directorate, part of the Iraqi Ministry of Interior, announced today, Wednesday, the launch of the National Card System in Iraqi embassies to register the Iraqi diaspora without their presence in Iraq. Major General Nasheet Al-Khafaji, director general of the Civil Status, Passports and Residency Directorate, stated in a press conference that "in implementation of the government program, the Directorate prepared a comprehensive plan under the leadership of the Minister of Interior across all its sectors and authorized the acceleration of work." He noted that they have reached advanced stages in national cards, passports, residency, and nationality affairs, as well as housing information offices that serve the citizens.
He pointed out that "the Minister of Interior announced on March 31 of last year that the number of national cards had reached 37 million and 167 thousand, and today we have reached 38 million and 992 thousand, with 329 national card offices." Al-Khafaji mentioned that they began the registration of Iraqi citizens in Washington, paving the way for establishing stations in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Iraqi embassies.
He indicated that the services being provided to citizens include the establishment of a central verification station for data between the Ministry of Interior and other state institutions, the launch of the National Card System in Iraqi embassies, and the opening of a central registration site in provinces, which will eliminate the need to transfer residency from one province to another. Additionally, there will be mobile registration stations for displaced individuals and hospitals to replace paper documents, with 300 mobile stations reached already.
Al-Khafaji emphasized that "the launch of the National Card System in Iraqi embassies will enable us to register the Iraqi diaspora without their presence in Iraq." He noted that the Passport Directorate was recognized as having the best advanced electronic system globally for 2023, ranking first during the assessment conducted by the Mondex global platform, having issued a total of 22 million and 150 thousand passports in Iraq and abroad, along with 1 million and 19 thousand and 198 of category B passports, starting from the third month of last year until today, with 40 offices issuing passports, in addition to 15 outside Iraq.
He further stated that "entry visas have transitioned to an electronic working methodology, covering all visa types, with only diplomatic and special service visas remaining, and we have coordinated with the Foreign Ministry to activate these visas." He pointed out that "this year alone, the movement of arrivals and departures reached 4 million and 120 thousand and 722, with 17 thousand and 347 electronic visas, and we deported around 12 thousand and 103 violators among the arrivals, which positively impacted the situation."
He highlighted that "we will automate the residency card, convert it into an electronic system, and link it with the national card within the information system, expanding its features. The card will not remain as it is but will be in a modern technical format," confirming that "the institution is working to transform all its directorates into electronic systems."
