More than 26,000 expatriates, including expatriate workers and students, have applied for new passports, according to the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment, Arun Hemachandra.
The applications have been received by Sri Lankan embassies and high commissions abroad and have been pending for almost two years.
The Deputy Minister further stated that some individuals are also facing numerous problems due to the expiration of their passports.
It has been reported that this issue has caused difficulties for expatriate workers and students studying overseas in carrying out their future activities.
Meanwhile, a discussion has been held with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment, as well as the Department of Immigration and Emigration, to provide an immediate solution to the problem.
The Deputy Minister, however, mentioned that steps would be taken to address this issue as much as possible by the end of the month and stressed that the current government was not responsible for creating this crisis.
Additionally, Deputy Minister Arun Hemachandra is requesting the public not to seek the assistance of intermediaries when applying for passports or obtaining information regarding foreign employment.
