Cabinet clears new Immigration Bill for Parliament

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the publication of a new Immigration Bill in the Government Gazette, clearing the way for its submission to Parliament.

The proposed legislation seeks to replace the Immigrants and Emigrants Act No. 20 of 1948.

An earlier Bill drafted for the same purpose was presented to Parliament, but proceedings were halted following the dissolution of the Ninth Parliament on September 24, 2024.

Following the dissolution, the Government reviewed the proposed legislation in light of a Supreme Court determination on the earlier Bill. Cabinet approval was subsequently granted on August 18, 2025, to draft a new Immigration Bill.

The Cabinet later approved the inclusion of provisions relating to Sri Lanka’s proposed electronic passport system on December 10, 2025.

Under the proposed legislation, the Secretary to the Ministry responsible for Immigration and Emigration will be designated as the Country Signing Certification Authority (CSCA), responsible for implementing the mechanism to incorporate biometric data into the electronic passport chip.

The Cabinet approved a proposal by Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Minister to publish the Bill, prepared by the Legal Draftsman, in the Government Gazette and subsequently present it to Parliament for approval.