Demand for passports has risen significantly, with a 400 percent increase since January.

This now has the Department of Internal Affairs scrambling, with nearly 50,000 passports yet to be processed and around 8600 people still waiting for responses to queries.

Many are worried they may have to cancel their school holiday plans due to the backlog.

Brent Thomas is the House of Travel chief operating officer and joined Kate Hawkesby.

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