Sri Lanka tackles passport shortage with 50,000 new arrivals

Sri Lanka has received around 7,500 passports on Saturday, with an additional 42,000 expected to arrive today (23), bringing the total to 50,000 passports this week.

The move comes as part of the Government’s efforts to resolve a shortage that led to a long queue in recent months.

Cabinet Spokesman and Public Security Minister Vijitha Herath yesterday announced that the Government plans to import another 100,000 passports next month, which is expected to significantly ease the backlog and reduce waiting times for applicants. This quantity is part of the 750,000 consignment.

“With this new shipment next month, it is expected that the Depa-rtment of Immigration and Emigration will be in a position to issue 3,000 – 3,500 passports daily like before,” he said during the weekly post-Cabinet meeting media briefing yesterday. Herath said people can apply for passports through one day service, regular service within a few days and also through provincial and district level. “The mechanism to distribute passports has been decentralised,” he added.

“We resolved the visa crisis immediately and within 28 days of assuming office we have also managed to address the passport issue,” Minister Herath said.