Iraq sends 35 additional staff to Mosul passport office

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Interior Ministry has deployed 35 officers and personnel to the citizenship and civil registry office on Mosul's right bank, hours after the unit reopened. The reinforcement was ordered by ministry undersecretary Hussein al-Awadi to speed up processing and reduce overcrowding at the facility, the ministry said. The office will operate in two shifts from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily, according to the ministry, which added that the added staffing was meant to handle a growing number of applications. Priority will be given to families of martyrs and wounded, elderly applicants and people in humanitarian cases. Al-Awadi said the performance of security and service institutions should be measured by citizen satisfaction. The ministry did not specify how long the additional deployment would remain in place.