KABUL, (Reuters) – The Kabul passport offices had to stop operations because equipment for issuing biometric papers broke down due to the demands of processing thousands upon thousands of applicants per day.

An exodus has begun, with many people crossing the border daily to escape worries about Afghanistan’s future.

Alam Gul Haqqani was the director of the passport office. He said that between 15,000 and 20,000 people per day camped out the Kabul office, which is five to six times larger than it could handle. Many were also sleeping on the streets overnight.

After failing to complete their applications, many had to go back to the office day after day. He also said that the biometric machine frequently failed as it processed documents. This caused additional delays.

To prevent this from happening to anyone else and to minimize disturbances, the director of passport services stated to Tolo News TV on Monday that the department would be shutting down for the next few days. He also said the office would soon reopen.

The interior ministry announced Tuesday that 60 individuals, including some members of the passport division, were arrested on Tuesday for using fake or forged documents in order to get a passport. In order to obtain their visas approved, there have been increasing complaints about people having to pay bribes.

The return of international flight has been gradual with services to Kabul from Dubai, Islamabad and Dubai offered by private Kam Air and state-owned Ariana Afghan Airlines.