By Omoyeni Ojeifo
The United States Department of State says it will begin revoking the passports of parents owing large amounts of unpaid child support, according to reports on Thursday.
The process is expected to start on Friday and will start with individuals owing $100,000 or more in child support payments.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), about 2,700 people could be affected in the first phase.
Officials say the broader plan will later extend to parents owing more than $2,500 in unpaid child support, in line with a 1996 U.S. law that has not been fully enforced over the years.
Under the policy, HHS will forward the names of parents who meet the threshold to the State Department, which will then revoke their passports.
Mora Namdar, Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, said the move is aimed at improving compliance.
“We are expanding a commonsense practice that has been proven effective at getting those who owe child support to pay their debt. Once these parents resolve their debts, they can once again enjoy the privilege of a U.S. passport.”
The State Department also noted that some parents have already started clearing their arrears following earlier reports about the policy expansion.
Although, officials said it is difficult to establish a direct link in all cases, however they believe the development shows the policy is prompting payments.
Authorities added that since the initiative began in 1998, states have recovered large sums in unpaid support, including about $657 million overall and more than $156 million from over 24,000 lump-sum payments in the past five years.
Affected parents will be informed that their passports are no longer valid for travel and will only regain eligibility after settling their debts.
The department further stated that Americans whose passports are revoked while overseas will need to visit a U.S. embassy or consulate to obtain emergency travel documents to return home.
Previously, enforcement was only applied when individuals with outstanding child support debts attempted to renew their passports.
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