She called for a tightening of microchipping and the registering with passports of horses destined for slaughter for food production in the UK. She repeated statistics showing that 6% of horses killed in Britain later tested positive for the drug bute, which is not cleared for human consumption.

BBC: Horsemeat scandal: 'Too trusting' on meat supplies

The government argues that e-passports make it easier for citizens to deal with their travel arrangements "without having to visit the passport office".

BBC: Saudi women in Riyadh. File photo

But the travel law contains language reserving the right to withhold passports for reasons of national interest and for people with pending legal cases, and he's sure that's affecting his situation.

NPR: Cuba Dissidents Approved, Denied For Passports

For sure, it is fiendishly difficult to stop young men with valid passports travelling abroad.

ECONOMIST: England��s shame

In 1993, an early-morning explosion in Managua below the workshop of a Basque mechanic revealed an underground bunker stuffed with weapons, forged passports, and documents, including plans for past kidnappings to raise money, notably that of a Brazilian industrialist, Abilio Diniz, in 1989.

ECONOMIST: Nicaragua