[throw73848788]

Passport are also needed for deportation. I can not see any reason, why police would burn their documents. It creates a lot of extra paperwork and headaches.

Destroying passports is a normal practice for illegal immigrants. It extends their stay in EU by several years. Most countries are considered safe, and it is hard to claim you are from Syria with Egyptian passport.

[mr_toad]

The police aren’t burning passports because it’s procedure, or even legal. It makes it harder for asylum seekers to prove where they’re from.