PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, Jul 4, CMC – Government has announced a comprehensive review of diplomatic passports after concerns were raised by foreign counterparts over the issuance and possible abuse of the documents, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has said.
According to the Trinidad and Tobago Guardian, Persad-Bissessar said the exercise had revealed that 985 people had diplomatic passports, despite most of them not meeting the established criteria.
“The Government was requested by our foreign counterparts to look into the issuance and abuse of Trinidad and Tobago-issued diplomatic passports,” Persad-Bissessar told the newspaper.
“Upon investigation, it was revealed that 985 persons possess diplomatic passports despite most of these persons not meeting the criteria for holding these passports.”
She said the review was an administrative exercise and was not directed at any one individual.
The prime minister confirmed that former prime minister Keith Rowley would be required to surrender his diplomatic passport, a day after another former prime minister, Stuart Young, said he had also been instructed to return his.
Persad-Bissessar said bearers of diplomatic passports are required to return them to the Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs when their overseas postings conclude, they retire, or they leave the qualifying political office.
“He (Rowley) is retired, and he is not representing the country in an official capacity. Therefore, he should not be in possession of a diplomatic passport,” she said.
According to the Guardian, Persad-Bissessar said officials from the Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs would contact Rowley in due course and that he would be issued an official passport instead of a diplomatic passport.
She explained that some current holders would retain diplomatic passports because they continue to qualify, while others would receive official passports or revert to ordinary passports.
“MP Young will therefore receive an official passport instead of a diplomatic passport,” she said.
“Some other persons on the list will also receive official passports instead of diplomatic passports, some will be removed entirely and given ordinary passports, and a few will retain their diplomatic passports.”
Persad-Bissessar rejected suggestions that the exercise amounted to punishment.
“This is not a downgrade or any indication of wrongdoing by anyone who is being affected. It is simply corrective action being taken,” she said.
She also sought to clarify the distinction between diplomatic and official passports, noting that diplomatic immunity is not automatically conferred by possession of a diplomatic passport.
“Both the diplomatic and official passports confer special benefits; however, immunity only applies to diplomatic passport holders and is strictly granted by the receiving country based on official Vienna Convention accreditation,” she said.
The Guardian reported that Works and Infrastructure Minister Jearlean John downplayed the controversy, saying she did not understand the attention the issue had attracted.
“This time, I did take a diplomatic passport. You know, when I was minister, at first, I never did that. My passport was just as good,” she said.
“What is the big deal? I mean, I don’t know. I don’t go to diplomatic lounges and so on. You just want a plane to take you from here to there safely, and you go through immigration and customs, and that’s it. I don’t see really what is the big deal.”
The newspaper also reported that the opposition People’s National Movement (PNM) criticised the decision to revoke Young’s diplomatic passport. According to the Guardian, PNM chairman Marvin Gonzales accused the Persad-Bissessar administration of pursuing “revenge, pettiness” and political victimisation instead of governing the country.
CMC/ed/2026