Arabic version: وزارة الخارجية الأمريكية تستهدف تأخر دعم الأطفال من خلال إلغاء جوازات السفر

The US State Department has said it will start to revoke the passports of Americans who owe significant amounts of child support. Parents who have outstanding debt of more than $2,500 could be impacted as part of a new enforcement strategy aimed at ensuring compliance with child support laws.

According to BBC News, the State Department emphasized that this initiative is designed to support American families and uphold parents’ legal and moral obligations to their children. Those affected are advised to arrange payment to relevant state agencies to prevent passport revocation.

The passport revocation policy is based on a rarely-enforced federal law from 1996, which previously only applied when individuals sought to renew their passports. Under the new approach, the State Department will collaborate with the US Department of Health and Human Services to identify those with outstanding debt and revoke passports.

Once a passport has been revoked, it will no longer be able to be used for travel, and individuals will not be eligible for a new passport until their child support debt has been paid. The enforcement of this policy is set to begin on Friday, although the exact start date has not been confirmed. Those currently outside the US will need to visit a US embassy or consulate to get an emergency travel document allowing them to reenter the country, according to reports.