23 May 2023 12:00 am Views - 134
By Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama
A new programme would be implemented to issue new passports within three working days, starting in June, Minister Tiran Alles said. He made this statement in his capacity as the in-charge of the Ministry of Public Security under which the Immigration and Emigration Department comes.
Addressing the media he said the decision was taken to prevent innocent people from being targeted by brokers outside the department.
As an immediate measure, the Department has decided only to allow the applicants inside the premises during working hours.
A total of 16 brokers who had engaged in a passport racket including a female officer attached to the Immigration and Emigration office were arrested last Friday.
“The Department would allow only the person who needs the passport inside the premises from today,” he said. “This follows several illegal brokers who were arrested on the premises,” he said.
“From June, applicants do not have to come in person to the Immigration Department.
Steps are taken to make the entire application process online, while measures have been taken to hand over the passports to the applicants within three days via the Sri Lanka Postal Service,” he said.
Meanwhile, the minister said that the department has decided to establish 50 new centres for the process of obtaining passports without delay by the end of June, and it has been decided to issue e-passports by the end of this year.
50 new centres will be established at fifty District Secretariats to collect photos and fingerprints, he said.