The Department of Immigration and Emigration announced plans to establish a new office in Jaffna and decided to increase the number of passports issued daily.
Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananda Wijepala said that this initiative aims to enhance service accessibility for residents in the Northern Province.
During a recent meeting at the Ministry with Immigration Department officials, Minister Wijepala emphasized the government’s commitment to improving the efficiency of issuing passports.
He noted that the Ministry has decided to recruit new staff for the proposed Jaffna branch, with the recruitment proposal already submitted to the Government Services Commission. A decision is expected within the next two to three days.
Additionally, it has been decided that the new Jaffna office will operate 24 hours a day to cater to public needs.
This development comes as part of broader efforts to expedite passport processing across the country. In January 2025, the Ministry of Public Security announced measures to increase the daily issuing of passports to 2,500 thus addressing the growing demand and reducing waiting times for applicants.
The establishment of the Jaffna office is expected to significantly benefit residents in the Northern Province, providing more convenient access to passport services and reducing the need to travel to Colombo or other distant offices.
