By JASMIN BONIMY, Guardian Staff Reporter, jasmin@nasguard.com

Long lines, extended waits and angry applicants added to a "chaotic" scene at the Passport Office yesterday.

When The Nassau Guardian's news team arrived at the Thompson Boulevard office shortly after 2 p.m. on Wednesday, the crowd of frustrated applicants had spilled outside into the parking lot.

Inside was an even larger gathering of nearly 100 people waiting for service.

Applicant, Claudia Gills, was one of the people ordered to wait outside while her information was being processed.

"I was here from 6 o'clock (this morning) so we could be among the 20 people so we could get served. It's just chaotic," said the 19-year-old. "I know there are a lot of people here for passports and they aren't letting us in."

The sales clerk added that her experience had left her feeling aggravated.

"We have to sit out here and I'm hot, thirsty and tired. I am very angry and frustrated because I woke up came out here and [didn't] even have breakfast," said Gills. "But some people came here and had to sleep in the parking lot.

"This is very ridiculous because they are only taking a few people," she added. "If you are over that amount they aren't making any exception. What is also happening is people who know people are getting straight quicker."

Officials from the Passport Office refused to speak with The Guardian yesterday afternoon, referring the reporter to "the proper channels" at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

However, repeated calls to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters were not returned up to press time Wednesday.

While an official reason was never given for the "slow service", some applicants said they were told that Internet issues were to blame.

Reports that the e-passport system may have played a role in yesterday's delays were also unconfirmed by authorities.

The Machine Readable Passports (MRP), or e-passports, were officially launched on December 5 last year, a move intended to increase protection against identity theft, heighten aviation security and combat illegal immigration.

The e-passport contains biometric features, such as fingerprints, facial features and other data, using advanced computerized recognition techniques. These would be imprinted on a silicone chip embedded in the passport document.

In January, government officials reported that the multi-million machine readable passport system was "working fairly well", with over 550 e-passports issued since the official launch.

The government signed an estimated $12.7 million contract with Indusa Globa to provide four systems to initiate the project. Those systems are: an ePassport issuance system, a Machine Readable Visa system, an E-Identification issuance system (smart cards for holders of work permits, spousal permits, home owners residence permits, permanent residence), and a Border Control Management System.

"I don't know what's going on here today," said a disgruntled applicant, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "They tell us they can't move any faster because the Internet is slow or something like that. They just really need to do better."