Sri Lankan passport woes

Governments may come and governments may go but people queuing to get a passport seems to go on forever. The passport queues which started during the economic crises of 2022 has been a continuous feature since then and attempts to resolve it have so far failed.

The highest number of passports were issued in 2022 (911,757) and 2023 (908,678). The high demand is understandable given that most Sri Lankans who had the slightest chance of getting out of the country did so given the economic woes they were facing. In the first five months of 2024, the number of passports issued were 381,678, so the year also would have ended with the same numbers as the two previous years. In 2025 too, the demand for passports has remained high hence the long lines at the Department of Immigration and Emigration.

For the NPP Government, it’s another headache they have inherited from the predecessors and one the new administration has failed to address effectively so far. The Government announced it plans to increase the number of new passports issued daily to 4,500 starting from mid-February with the Department working 24 hours to end the rush. As officials at the Department are inadequate, Cabinet approval was given to recall retired officers on contract basis as well as second officers from other Government departments to the Immigration Office to expedite the work.

There is a large number of Sri Lankans eager to get a passport to go overseas for employment. It is mainly the youth who look for better opportunities, some wanting to move temporarily while others seek greener pastures hoping to move to more developed nations with their families.

Freedom of movement is a guaranteed constitutional right and every citizen unless forbidden by law, can travel wherever they like provided they are travelling with a legitimate travel document and the necessary visas. While a majority goes through legal channels, there is a sizable number who takes illegal routes to get to other countries. As statistics from the USA revealed recently, there are over 3,000 Lankans who may face deportation for entering the country illegally or overstaying their visas. This is true of many European capitals too where some have made their way, for example, using a tourist visa and then overstaying.

There are of course genuine cases where people have fled the country due to threats to their lives and they have been successful in obtaining asylum in the countries they applied for such status but there are more economic refugees now than there are leaving the country for other reasons. However most developed countries are less tolerant of immigrants now and are enacting stricter laws to keep foreigners out. Hence even for those seeking to migrate through legal routes it is becoming harder.

Sri Lanka’s passport remains among the least powerful in the world with Lankans needing a prior visa to travel to a majority of countries in the world. Most Lankan passport holders who travel overseas are aware of the hassle they face in obtaining a visa. Even with a valid visa, in most Western capitals, the line of questioning by immigration officials makes even a legitimate visitor feel unwelcome. But for those waiting for hours in long queues the wait seems to be worth it. For many the passport is a way to escape poverty. It’s a source that could help them uplift the economic status of their families, it could mean access to better education and health facilities. It could open the doors to many opportunities that they will not get in the land of their birth.

So, while many see the queues and wonder why people spend sleepless nights and long days waiting to get a passport, the answer lies in the inequality of our society, the lack of equal opportunities, the discrimination, and many other ills. The grass is not always greener on the other side but when the grass in your homeland is dry and parched, then the grass on any other land will look luscious and inviting.