Tougher regulations for visas announced

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has made the application process for Iraqi visas more stringent, with the aim of preventing insurgents from entering the country. “Before, the Iraqi authorities easily granted visas to most applicants, which led to an increase in foreign insurgents coming into Iraq, especially Arabs,” said a senior ministry official Khalid Sumayre. Under new regulations, applicants will have to wait while their documents are sent to the capital, Baghdad, where authorities will check their personal histories and reasons for coming to Iraq. Foreigners must also now inform the ministry’s Department of Residence at least a week before their departure from the country. “All foreigners have to pass through the department as soon as they arrive in the country and then again before leaving to get the exit visa,” said Ali Fua’ad, an official at the residency department. Fua’ad added that even those who have entered Iraq previously will not be guaranteed visas. The decision has been criticised by foreigners who depend on Iraqi visas for work. “I have to come to Iraq every couple of weeks and this new process will delay my entry into the country,” said Hayder Obaidi, an Egyptian businessman who has worked in Iraq for two years. “These new rules will seriously affect my business and that of my partners,” he added. Sumayre explained that foreign journalists will also be subject to the new rules. In addition, they will be expected to make their own security arrangements. “From now on, if a journalist wants a visa, he has to have a security detail to provide him with protection,” he said. Journalists, especially freelance reporters, expressed their dissatisfaction with the move. “Many journalists in Iraq work independently,” said Pedro Alvarenga, an Italian freelance journalist working in Baghdad. “This decision is sure to affect their work.” Some Arab visitors to the country have also pointed out that, even before the introduction of the new rules, they were often subject to long waiting periods for visas. “I tried to get a visa for more than three months, but because of my age and the fact that I’m Arab, approval was delayed for months,” said Sinan Jomaa, a 24-year old Lebanese student studying at an Iraqi university. “I finally got it, thanks to the intercession of a government source I happen to know,” he added.