A team of officials from the Immigration Department have departed for Poland to look into the production process of Sri Lankan passports, as the department faces challenges related to the e-passport tender and an existing shortage.
The e-passport tender issue has led to a crisis within the Immigration Department, causing long queues near the department’s premises.
Due to the current situation, the process of booking appointments through the online system has been temporarily suspended.
Department sources have confirmed that a new stock of passports is expected to arrive in Sri Lanka on October 25.
Accordingly, on that date, a total of 50,000 blank passports will be received, followed by an additional 100,000 blank passports approximately two weeks later.
Over the next five years, the country plans to secure a total of 5 million blank passports.
The Controller General of the Department of Immigration and Emigration, Harsha Ilukpitiya, noted that the new blank passports feature a black cover and are manufactured in Poland.
Accordingly, a group of representatives from the Immigration Department has traveled to the relevant factory in Poland to examine the production process of these passports