To hell or heaven, we need a passport! - EDITORIAL

It wasn’t long ago when Sri Lankans developed a habit (by force rather than choice) to form long queues on the streets. This wasn’t to obtain a ticket for a cricket match – now that cricket has become an unpopular sport in the country – but to obtain basic necessities such as fuel and gas. People had to brave the rain and sunshine, sometimes for several days, awaiting their turn to pump fuel to their vehicles or purchase a gas cylinder. People from middle income segments even queued up to purchase kerosene as that too became a scarcity during this period. But this time around, due to loopholes and lags in the passport tender system, obtaining a passport has become a distant dream for Sri Lankans. 

Since June 2023, a new online system was implemented for the issuance of passports in response to middlemen who were making a buck out of people who were queuing outside the Department of Immigration and Emigration (DIE), waiting to obtain their passport under the normal service. At the time, there was no shortage of passports, but discussions were underway to shift to issuing ePassports by 2025, as per the global standards recommended by the International Civil Aviation Authority. But in August 2024, the DIE indicated that the issuance of passports would have to be restricted due to a shortage of blank passports. The shortage came in the wake of a delay in the tender process. 

Thereafter, the DIE requested applicants with immediate requirements to apply for passports. Further instructions were given for people to register online and obtain a date and time prior to visiting the DIE.  But by September, this shortage transformed into a crisis.  Long queues were seen near the Suhurupaya office complex in Battaramulla, as people anticipated their turn. Some had travelled long distances to obtain their passport, and if one misses their chance, they have to wait a few extra days to get their passport. Several applicants reportedly missed their university entrance dates, and migrant workers have missed due dates to start working at their respective destinations. 

People also complain of a middlemen mafia, where they would come early and obtain around Rs. 20,000-25,000 from people languishing in the queue and whoever pays them would be sent further up the queue. By the time the police personnel arrive, they have already earned their buck and left. Minister Alles said that the online appointment system had been scrapped as these middlemen have developed a trend to sell appointments at Rs. 45,000 and slots at a queue for Rs. 20,000-25,000. 

There are mixed responses with regards to the number of passports being issued per day. People at the queues in regional offices claim that only 25 passports are being issued per day whereas Minister Alles affirms that 1,090 passports are being issued daily. The DIE indicates that around 750 passports are being issued per day. During a recent inspection tour, he said that the queues are not only to obtain passports, but to obtain IDs and documents such as marriage and death certificates because the Registrar General’s office is also located at the same building. Addressing allegations regarding passport tenders, he said that the Ministry had obtained passports for 23 years from the same supplier without issuing a tender and that he wanted to change this practice. Thereafter, when the time came to reorder new Machine Readable Passports (MRPs), he had insisted that the tender should be opened globally, without limiting it to a single supplier. Minister Alles assured that they are trying to get a lot out of the order placed for regular passports by mid-October. 

People arrive at the passport office with many hopes and aspirations in mind. Some have mortgaged their valuables to make a trip to Colombo to obtain their passports. Having to wait an extra day or two means that it is an additional burden to their pockets. The passport crisis needs to be resolved, but the when and how remains a question.