Passports in high demand; Immigration Dept extends services

COLOMBO (News 1st); The demand for passports has grown significantly in recent times, and queues too, have grown, rendering the situation at regional offices unmanageable.

The average number of passports issued per day under the one day service is 2,500.

However, the Department of Immigration and Emigration stated that the service could not be maintained due to the unusual demand since the end of April.

The department has also taken steps to expand its services from 6 AM to 10 PM to provide maximum service to the queued up public, however, the situation at regional offices has not yet returned to normal.

Due to the unusual demand and technical weaknesses, photographers associated with foreign travel services are currently facing issues as well. In this context, the Colombo District All Island Professional Photo Gallery Owners' Association convened a media briefing yesterday, and mentioned that they are dealing with high foot traffic at photo galleries at the same time with non-functioning software to obtain photots.