Closure of British passport office in Hong Kong 'was a mistake', blast UK lawmakers

British travellers "left out of pocket" as a result of passport processing delays should be refunded and the agency in charge put back under the control of ministers, a report by British lawmakers has recommended.

The report by Britain's influential Home Affairs Select Committee said the passport fiasco showed "complete management failure" at the "highest levels of the organisation", as Her Majesty's Passport Office (HMPO) struggled to handle the high demand for travel documents.

Committee members also said the "regrettable" closure of overseas passport offices in Hong Kong and elsewhere was a "mistake". The office failed to cope with the extra demand.

Hong Kong residents were left without a passport for up to four months. The revealed how Hong Kong residents caught in the backlog paid a total of HK$1.3 million as the city's British consulate topped the worldwide list in issuing emergency passports.

The committee said an "equitable solution" was for applicants after May 1 - who were offered a HK$376 extra fast-track service that later became an automatic free service - to be refunded the money. The proposal, if implemented, would pave the way for widespread compensation.

Thousands of Hong Kong residents were among the half a million people caught up by massive delays in renewing passports. In June, British Home Secretary Theresa May announced a series of measures to speed up the processing of passports. The backlog in applications had since fallen to 90,000.