Parliament ends session on proposed Passport Law Amendment amidst objections

Shafaq News/ On Saturday, the Iraqi Parliament concluded its session on the report and discussion of the proposed First Amendment to Passport Law No. 32 of 2015, despite some representatives' objections and rejections.

Shafaq News Agency correspondent reported that the Iraqi Parliament completed the report and discussion of the draft law on the National Intelligence Service, and the first reading of the draft law on the first amendment to the 2016 Martyrs Foundation Law and the draft law ratifying the air services agreement between the governments of Iraq and Azerbaijan.

The Iraqi Parliament's Media Department announced that the session has been extended until Sunday.

On Friday, Iraqi legislator Mohammad Jassim Al-Khafaji issued a stern warning regarding a proposed amendment to the diplomatic passport law, which he described as "dangerous."

Al-Khafaji, a member of the Parliamentary Legal Committee, stated, "The provision of diplomatic passports is tied to diplomatic roles and public positions of a sovereign nature and should end with the termination of those positions."

In this context, he expressed concern that the proposed amendment would allow individuals who held such positions since 2003, along with their spouses and children, to keep diplomatic passports indefinitely. Al-Khafaji argued this undermines social justice principles of equal treatment for all citizens and officials and could further erode public trust in the government.

Al-Khafaji's political bloc, "Ishraqat Kanoon," has objected to the amendment and plans to collect signatures from other MPs to reject the proposed changes.

The controversy follows a 2023 Parliamentary Integrity Committee report revealing 32,000 diplomatic passports were issued, including 10,000 to individuals outside the diplomatic corps or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.