The sudden breakdown in the computer system of the Department of Immigration and Emigration that occurred this morning has been restored, officials confirmed.

Department spokesman Mahesh Karunadasa said the system, which had experienced a technical fault earlier in the day, has now returned to normal operations.

The disruption had temporarily affected the issuance of foreign passports during the morning hours, causing delays for applicants. 

Authorities assured that services are functioning smoothly again following the restoration. (Newswire)

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The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested the Controller of Information Technology and Internal Control at the Department of Immigration and Emigration, over an alleged financial fraud linked to the installation of official software.

According to Media reports, the CID’s Financial Crimes Investigation Division said the arrest followed inquiries into a payment of Rs. 9,831,250 made for a “User Management Module” software that was never installed. 

Investigators allege government funds were fraudulently obtained without delivering the system.

The Police confirmed the suspect was taken into custody under charges filed in terms of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Further investigations are underway into the misuse and misappropriation of government funds. 

The suspect is scheduled to be produced before the Kaduwela Magistrate’s Court, while the CID continues its probe. (Newswire)

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The Department of Immigration and Emigration has announced special visa facilitation measures for all foreign nationals affected by the adverse weather conditions currently prevailing in Sri Lanka.

The department said that foreigners who were scheduled to depart Sri Lanka on or after 28th November, but were unable to do so due to flight cancellations or travel difficulties caused by the weather, will be exempted from visa extension fees and overstay penalties. 

Issuing a statement, the department said this measure is intended to support travelers who experienced unavoidable delays beyond their control.

In addition, short-term Tourist or Business Visa holders and Residence Visa holders will be granted a seven (07) days’ grace period to complete their visa extension formalities.

Extension of short-term Tourist Visa can be done through the Department’s online portal: https://eservices.immigration.gov.lk/vs/login.php, it added. (Newswire)

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The Jaffna Regional Office of the Department of Immigration and Emigration was declared open by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake today (01). 

This office, established within the premises of the Jaffna District Secretariat, is equipped with all facilities, including modern technology. 

Until now, the people of Jaffna, Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu had to travel a long distance to the Vavuniya Regional Office, the only regional office in the Northern Province, to obtain immigration and emigration services. As the number of foreign passport applications from the Northern Province is increasing, this regional office was opened to fulfil the need for a more easily accessible location. 

The issuance of three passports by the President symbolised the commencement of providing Department of Immigration and Emigration services to the people of Jaffna. 

Addressing the occasion, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated that efforts are underway to enable the public to carry out all payments and transactions with the government through online methods by next year. 

The President stated that digitalisation, a key programme of the present government, enables the decentralisation of all administrative functions, which were previously confined to Colombo, to remote rural villages, thereby giving the people the opportunity to access government services much more conveniently. 

Subsequently, at a meeting with Jaffna District public officials held at the auditorium of the Jaffna District Secretariat, the President stated that in order to meet the expectations of the people, political authorities and public officials must work together. 

The President emphasised that while the government will do its utmost to protect public officials who use their authority for the welfare of the people, it will not hesitate to enforce the law against those who misuse that authority for monetary gain. He further stated that, at present, all public servants in the country have the opportunity to fulfil their duty to the nation. 

The President further pointed out that a strong public service is needed to build the country, and behind the development of every developed country in the world, there is a strong public service. 

The full statement of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake;

“Today, we have established facilities for obtaining services from the Regional Office of the Department of Immigration and Emigration at the Jaffna District Secretariat. Although symbolically it was the issuance of an immigration document, our intervention in this task had a much broader purpose. Our entire administrative structure has been centred in Colombo, compelling people living in distant provinces to travel to Colombo for many services. 

The aim of our government is to decentralise this administration to even the most remote rural villages. Facilities must be arranged so that citizens can access government services close to them. By next year, our objective is to enable people to carry out all their transactions with the government through computer software systems and even from their mobile phones. The foremost priority of our government is digitalisation. 

At the same time, steps have been taken to strengthen the public service. At the District Committee meeting held at this very place earlier, I announced that we would be granting a salary increase in April. We have done so. By next January, we will ensure that the remaining portion of that increase is also provided. If this country is to be rebuilt, a strong public service is essential. Every developed nation has a robust public service and we too are working to build one in our country.” 

Your signature carries great responsibility. If you use it to serve the people, we will give you our fullest protection. But if you use it for financial gain, the law will take its course. We need a State that upholds the rule of law. Unfortunately, our country has become a place where the law has been disregarded and the dignity of public institutions has collapsed. We must restore respect to every state institution and ensure that every public officer regains the honour they deserve. To support this, we will provide the necessary facilities to state institutions. 

Our country has reached a point where we must rebuild from the ground up. We have a comprehensive development plan for the Northern Province. For the first time, at the last Presidential and General Elections, the people of the North entrusted their votes to form a government. In a country once divided and mistrustful, people placed confidence in governance. Our duty now is to ensure that this unity is not broken but strengthened, building a nation of togetherness and brotherhood for future generations. 

We are aware that certain defeated political forces are attempting to use nationalism as a tool to regain power. This can be seen both in the North and the South. But such nationalist politics serve politicians, not the people. Therefore, all of us whether in the North or the South must reject nationalist politics and ensure it never rises again. We are firmly committed to this. 

As a government, we strongly believe there will never be another war in our country. Some try to spread fear that war will return. But our work is to ensure it does not. We must return people’s lands to them, reopen closed roads and eliminate suspicion between communities. I am confident that all of us will work to prevent another war and with that mindset, we must move our country forward. We must build a new society, leaving behind failed political movements, religious divisions and casteism; these belong to the past. Today, what matters is not ethnicity, religion or caste, but humanity. We must place humanity above all divisions and build a country where humanity is the highest value. That is the future of both our country and the world. 

I am aware that when we excavate the earth, old skeletons surface. Today, the discovery of mass graves in Chemmani has caused great concern. We are conducting a fully transparent investigation into these. Our goal is to ensure that such mass graves will never be created again in this country. 

At this moment, we are fulfilling the most important needs of our nation. Together with our religious leaders, political authorities, state officials and representatives of the security forces, we must work with one purpose. As political leaders, we will fulfill our responsibilities to the fullest. Let us all unite to rebuild this country. (Newswire)

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An Assistant Controller of the Department of Immigration and Emigration has been arrested on charges of having issued three fake passports to underworld kingpin Mandinu Padmasiri alias ‘Kehelbaddara Padme’.

Police Spokesman SSP Buddhika Manatunga said the Immigration Department official was arrested by officers from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) today.

He further said he is accused of having provided the passports to ‘Kehelbaddara Padme’, who is accused of the murder of druglord Ganemulla Sanjeewa at a courthouse in Colombo in February this year.  

The Police Spokesman added that the arrest was made after it was revealed during an investigation into two suspects who were previously arrested on charges of forging passports for ‘Kehelbaddara Padme’, who is currently in Dubai. (Newswire)

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The 24-hour service for one-day passports at the Department of Immigration and Emigration in Battaramulla will be suspended for three days next week. 

According to the department, the passport service will be suspended on 15, 16, and 17 April 2025.

The department said, however, tokens for one-day services will be issued until 12.00 pm on the said days. (Newswire)

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Long queues have been reported in front of the Department of Immigration and Emigration in Battaramulla in the past few days with people attempting to obtain passports. 

The public states that some people have been waiting in queues for days, with some staying in front of the passport office overnight without food or washroom facilities.

They further alleged that the passport office has failed to implement a proper system for applicants, which has severely inconvenienced the public. 

The chaos comes after the Department of Immigration and Emigration scrapped its online passport system recently. 

Instead the department announced that passports will be provided on a first come first serve basis. 

The department is also facing a severe shortage of blank passport books and has announced the issuance of limited passports as a result. (Newswire)

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The Department of Immigration and Emigration says the issuance of passports will be required to be restricted due to the limited availability of blank passports.

Issuing a statement, the department requested only applicants with immediate requirements to apply for passports.

The Immigration Department further said that new electronic passports are to be introduced, adding that a tender has been awarded to an international company for this service.

Stating that measures have been taken to obtain more blank passports and an order has been made as of now, the department said that the order of 750,000 passport books will be received only by the end of October.

Sri Lanka is currently facing several issues with regard to the issuance of passports, mainly due to the failure to implement a proper system and the shortage of passport books. 

Earlier this month, Public Security Minister Tiran Alles acknowledged that the tender for the new passports had been delayed due to various reasons, causing the delay in issuing new passports

The minister said that although the daily requirement is to issue around 3,000 passports, only 900 are currently issued due to the current situation. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka’s Immigration and Emigration Department has informed of a new system to obtain passports after scrapping the newly introduced online registration system.

Issuing a notice, the Immigration Department said it was not necessary to register to apply for passports, effective from last Friday (Aug 23).

The department further said as per the new system, 400 passports will be issued per day under the one-day service and 250 passports under the normal service, based on the sequence of visiting the Immigration Department.

Furthermore, the department said that the public with a valid passport containing blank pages can use their existing passport until the e-passport system is implemented in the near future. 

Sri Lanka launched the online passport system via 51 Divisional Secretariats islandwide in June 2023, as part of the government’s digitalisation programme. Under the newly launched system, people could obtain passports within three days for Rs 15,000 and within 14 days for Rs 5,000. 

However, the online passport system faced several issues and failed.

At the time the online passport system was launched, the Immigration Department said they were capable of issuing only 3,700 passports out of the 35,000 applications that were submitted.

Issues continue to prevail, resulting in delays and long queues at the Immigration Department on a regular basis, with most Sri Lankans scrambling for passports to go abroad, largely for employment.

The more serious issue faced at present is the shortage of passport books, which has resulted in severely hindering the passport issuance process. 

Earlier this month, Public Security Minister Tiran Alles requested the public to delay applying for passports until October, urging only those with immediate requirements to apply for urgent passports. 

Addressing a media briefing, the minister said that those who apply for passports in October will be able to obtain new e-passports which meet international standards. The new passports will feature enhanced security features, he revealed. 

The tender for the new passports had been delayed due to various reasons, causing the delay in issuing new passports, the minister said. 

“Although the daily requirement is to issue around 3,000 passports, only 900 is currently issued due to the current situation,” Minister Alles said, adding that certain provisions have been allowed to issue around 100 passports daily for extremely urgent requirements. (Newswire)

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The Department of Immigration and Emigration’s current Regional Office in Vavuniya will be relocated to a new location on August 16, 2024.

According to the department, the regional office situated at No. JC 23, Outer Circle Road, Vavuniya will be moved to the building at the location in front of Gaminin Vidyalaya, Mannar Road, Vavuniya.

Therefore, the public services provided by the current Regional Office will conclude on Friday, August 02, 2024. 

The public is informed that the services at the Regional office will be suspended from 03 -15 August 2024 in view of the relocation and will commence at the new Regional office with effect from August 16, 2024. (Newswire)

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The new methodology to apply for passports has been launched with effect from today (July 19), the Department of Immigration and Emigration announced.

The department has requested the public to make a prior online registration to obtain passports. 

There is no possibility of obtaining a passport by visiting the Immigration Department without a previously allocated time and date, the department said. 

The Immigration and Emigration Department emphasized that from today, all applicants must reserve a date and time before arriving at the department to apply for passports.

The request comes as congestion was reported at the Immigration and Emigration Department in Battaramulla today due to people arriving without registering in advance. 

This week, the Department of Immigration and Emigration launched a new methodology to apply for passports, for the convenience of the public. 

Those applying for passports have been requested to make prior registration via the link https://www.immigration.gov.lk 

According to the Immigration Department, after registration, the opportunity to obtain passports will be received on a priority basis, while it is available for both normal and one-day services. (Newswire)

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The Department of Immigration and Emigration has announced a new methodology to apply for passports, for the convenience of the public. 

Issuing a notice, the Immigration Department said the new system to apply for passports was implemented with effect from today (July 17).

Those applying for passports have been requested to make prior registration via the link https://www.immigration.gov.lk 

The Immigration Department said after registration the opportunity to obtain passports will be received on a priority basis, while it is available for both normal and one-day services.

Following is the new methodology for passports introduced by the Department of Immigration and Emigration;

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Sri Lanka’s Immigration and Emigration Department has introduced new passport seals for arrival and departure at international airports in the country, it was reported. 

According to the Controller General of the Immigration and Emigration Department Harsha Ilukpitiya, the new seals were introduced at the Katunayake Airport on June 01, 2024.

He further said that the usage of the new seals has also commenced at other international airports in Sri Lanka as of now. 

The Immigration and Emigration Department has introduced a blue-coloured seal for arrival and a green-coloured seal for departure. 

Harsha Ilukpitiya further revealed that apart from the airport, similar seals have been introduced for Ports and passenger cruise ships, adding that three separate seals have been introduced for each sector. 

Providing details on the introduction of new seals, he said the airports and ports had been using a seal that had been created in 1948 which at present was easily being misused by various parties. 

Despite several complaints being received on the fraudulent use of the old seal, the introduction of the new seals had been continuously delayed for several years, he said. 

Harsha Ilukpitiya said steps were taken to introduce the new seals soon, adding that they have been created in a way that cannot be duplicated. (Newswire)

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The Department of Immigration and Emigration says a new methodology was introduced to its online Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) programme due to the existing system not being updated timely and failing to meet the Department’s technical requirements.

Issuing a statement, the department clarified that the programme to grant approval for foreigners to visit Sri Lanka (ETA), which commenced in 2012, obtained only text information from the travellers. 

Therefore, due to it failing to meet the department’s technical requirements, 15 new visa schemes were introduced under the Gazette dated 27.11.2023 and two more short-term visa schemes were introduced with the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers, thereafter.

The Immigration Department further said with the introduction of the new visa schemes, it was essential to obtain a large number of documents online and verify their accuracy for the responsibility of the department for national security.

As such, fulfilling this requirement without being a burden to the government and obtaining a proven technology at the international level became the department’s priority.

On the selection of VFS Global, as the service provider, the Immigration Department said the company was selected based on several criteria, especially its long-term experience of using online methodology to send relevant documents for visa approval. 

Quality checking of information submitted by the applicant, the company’s services in 5 languages, experience of service operations in 151 countries, levying a low fee from Sri Lanka in comparison to 66 other countries, and its investment of USD 200 million for the implementation of this visa programme were among other reasons, to select VFS Global as the service provider. 

The Immigration Department further clarified that the department carries out approving, issuing and rejecting visas as per the powers vested under the Immigrants and Emigrants Act No. 20 of 1948. 

Full statement: 

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CCTV cameras that were to be installed on the premises of the Head Office of the Immigration and Emigration Department have been kept in a warehouse for 06 years, the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) was informed. 

The COPA Committee Chair Lasantha Alagiyawanna has instructed the department to ensure the immediate installation of the CCTV cameras. 

The Committee was further informed that the department had purchased only some parts required for the camera for Rs. 2.1 million in 2017, and not all required parts.

It was also informed that the officers who had carried out the purchase had been transferred.

The COPA Committee instructed that the cameras be installed before May 15, 2024, under the supervision of the committee headed by an Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Defence. 

The matter was brought to light when the Auditor General’s reports for 2020, 2021, and 2022 and the current performance were taken up for discussion before the COPA Committee last week (Apr 02). (Newswire)

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