Immigration and Emigration Acting Comptroller-General Nilusha Balasooriya (left) at yesterday’s press briefing

• Acting Controller General Nilusha Balasooriya says the system can accommodate up to 1,200 daily slots
• Says all November slots are booked and appointments can be scheduled from December through new system including expanded bandwidth and security features
• It says online appointments are still required for emergency applications, with the case reviewed by an independent panel
• It reveals that approximately 33,000 blank passports remain; two shipments expected in mid-November. and mid-December.
• Claim constraints stem from previous administration decisions; internal forensic audit in progress

By Charumini de Silva

The Department of Immigration and Emigration announced yesterday that it will introduce an online scheduling system for passport applications starting tomorrow (6), with the aim of streamlining the application process and reducing daily crowding at the state institution.

Addressing the media, Acting Comptroller General Nilusha Balasooriya said the improved system will issue up to 1,200 appointments per day, though all slots for November are already booked.

“The programs can be secured from December through the Department’s official website,” she said, adding that the new system is designed to be user-friendly with improved bandwidth and security features and can be accessed non -Stop.

“This system will put an end to the current queues,” she confidently expressed.

Balasooriya also said that this new system can crack down on unauthorized third parties who profit by providing “assistance” with the system, advising the public to avoid such methods. “For those who require technical assistance, support is available through the Government Information Center 1919 or the Departmental Information Center by calling 1962,” explained Balasooriya.

She said tomorrow’s launch follows a two-week pilot test aimed at facilitating the public and limiting the influx of daily visitors to the Department’s offices.

When asked about the company involved in developing and upgrading the new appointment system, the Acting Comptroller General declined to disclose details, saying only that the Department is responsible for the implementation and operation of the system.

Balasooriya explained that emergency passport applications can be accepted but require an initial online appointment, with cases then reviewed by an independent committee comprising officials from the Ministry of Public Security, Department of Immigration and Emigration, Sri Lanka Police and Sri Lanka Army . “Applicants found to be using forged documents to speed up processing will face legal action,” she warned.

However, she did not provide further details about the constitution and chairman of this independent committee.

Asked how many passports are issued by the Department, the Acting Comptroller General said it has a limited daily capacity of 1,200 passports.

“There are about 33,000 blank passports left out of the recently received batch of 50,000. Two additional shipments totaling 700,000 passports are expected in mid-November and mid-December,” she said.

She stated that currently one-day passport services are issued on the same day, while standard applications take about a month to process.

Balasooriya indicated that these constraints stem from the decisions of the previous administration. “Much of the Department’s time has been spent dealing with these legal issues involving the procurement of passports,” she claimed.

She disclosed that in addition to the ongoing legal proceedings, a forensic audit is underway to examine the decisions of the previous administration that contributed to the delay in the issuance of the passports.