Many show up at Oslo airport without a valid passport. Now the pressure for Emergency passports is so large that police warn of long waiting periods.
– It may be difficult to issue passports all the time, said head of section in the Police Directorate, Jan Erik Thommasen,.
During the last couple of weeks the police at Gardermoen had to make an average of 200 emergency passports per week.
– There is a significant amount compared to a normal week outside the summer season. Usually it is just a person sitting behind the counter at Oslo Airport and welcoming the public in need of an emergency passports, but because of the great influx there has now been holiday temps hired to handle all inquiries.
– Passengers who need emergency passports may risk having to stand in line for over two hours and risk missing their plane, says Thomassen.
He encourages people to fix passport on their own prior to flight.
– Many believe that an emergency passport can only be fixed at Gardermoen, making a heavy demand says Thomassen.
Police issued about 6,000 passports annually.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today
