With the passport office in the Arakan State capital Sittwe packed with people desperate to leave Myanmar amid rising unemployment and costs of living, brokers are profiting from the country’s increasingly grim economic outlook.
Under the standard procedure, it takes at least three weeks to obtain a passport, and costs around K50,000. But with the help of brokers, applicants can get their documents within a few days or a week maximum, but the cost is also higher — K200,000 to K300,000.
“We needed passports as early as possible, because the boss from the foreign country wanted to employ us directly. So, we applied through brokers. It was not OK for us to wait for a month,” said a Ramree resident.
Under the unbrokered procedure, applicants must submit the necessary documents first to get an appointment for further steps.
“I have submitted the necessary documents to get an appointment. I don’t need to spend a kyat so far,” said a male applicant from Taungup. “I will apply without brokers. An employee from the passport office said we will be just four or five days later than those who apply through brokers.”
Most of the people in Arakan State who are looking to leave the country are from rural areas, with some pawning or selling their property and possessions to pay the costs. Many applicants from outside Sittwe choose to apply through brokers as they cannot afford to wait for weeks in Sittwe.
“There are a lot of difficulties for applicants who do not apply through brokers. At the same time, there are many brokers at the passport office, so it is almost impossible to avoid them,” said a woman from Maei town.
Brokers asked by DMG said they only get around K30,000 from applicants because they have to share their fees with office staff.
“We only get K20,000 to K30,000 maximum. We have to pay the staff, and they also have to share among them. That’s why we have charged a large amount,” said a broker who did not want to be named.
DMG was unable to obtain a comment from the passport office in Sittwe.
Former Lower House lawmaker U Pe Than criticised the process as lacking transparency.
“Perhaps, they [the junta government] are intentional. If the office is understaffed, they should report to authorities and recruit. However, they have intentionally created this as a source of income for them,” he said, suggesting that some brokers may actually be working for the military
regime.
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Caption: The passport office in Sittwe is pictured on September 12, 2022.
