Trudeau says passport delays are ‘unacceptable,’ promises the government will ‘step up’

Would-be travellers face hours-long wait times at some of the country’s 35 passport offices.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is promising to do more to fix what he calls an “unacceptable” state of affairs at the country’s passport offices that have been overwhelmed in recent days as thousands of Canadians scramble to get their hands on the necessary documents before travelling abroad.

Speaking to  The House in an interview that will air Saturday, Trudeau said he understands there’s a lot of anxiety among would-be travellers right now.

“This situation is unacceptable,” he said. “There’s a real concern among families facing these things and we have to step up.”

Pressed by host Chris Hall to say why the situation is so tenuous when it was obvious to most observers that passport demand would spike with the lifting of COVID-related travel restrictions, Trudeau said the government did hire more than 600 passport workers in January and they’re prepared to hire even more to help chip away at the backlog.

“There’s a lot of disruptions as the world comes back from COVID. But that’s why we’re working night and day to make sure that people get their passports,” Trudeau said.

“We’re processing tens of thousands of them every week. We’re making sure we’re delivering as fast as possible what people need and expect from their government.”

With processing times slower than usual, many Canadians are opting to get a passport or replace an expired passport through an in-person visit to one of the 35 passport offices nationwide that accept applications.