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Friday, 18 May 2012 00:32 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Uditha Jayasinghe
Under a new scheme, Cabinet has approved granting of dual citizenship after a probation period of five years, a Minister said here yesterday.
The tenuous issue of dual citizenship was finally taken before the Cabinet this Wednesday after being on hold for many months.
Accordingly, the Government has decided to amend the Citizenship Act No. 18 of 1948 and the Immigration and Emigration Act No. 20 of 1948 with a view to formalising the granting of dual citizenship by the establishment of the ‘Overseas Sri Lankans’ scheme.
This was disclosed by the Acting Minister of Mass Media and Cabinet Spokesman Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene.
He said that the proposal made by President Mahinda Rajapaksa and approved by the Cabinet would make room for pre-examination to satisfy that a person applying for dual citizenship in Sri Lanka has fulfilled the requirements to make him eligible.
“There will be several amendments made to the legislation,” Abeywardene said, but did not disclose when the changes would be implemented or the changes would be presented before parliament.
The main changes include provisions to establish a new scheme called ‘Overseas Sri Lankans’ with a view to affording facilities to persons who have terminated citizenship in Sri Lanka and their under-aged children to enter Sri Lanka and to stay in the country.
The document handed out also says legislation will give the opportunity of applying for dual citizenship to those who have registered under the above scheme, only after being subjected to a pre-examination after being placed in a state of probation for a period of five years.
“Provisions will also be made to exempt persons from the requirement of registration under the new scheme when the President is of the opinion that granting of dual citizenship in Sri Lanka for persons who have terminated their citizenship in Sri Lanka will be beneficial to national interest,” the Minister added.
