Moves to include fingerprints on passports

Rasika Somarathna

Inclusion of biometric data on passports is on the cards as authorities look to tighten screws on possible frauds. Immigration and Emigration Controller, P.B. Abeykoon said the number of passports applications containing fraudulent documents encountered by officers during processing average around ten daily.

"We have appointed a panel of experts to conduct a study on the viability of the fingerprinting program and also has acquired funds to enact it, if given the green light," he said.

He also pointed out that the basic documents needed to obtain a passport such as the ID and the birth certificate, could easily be forged.

According to authorities attempts to obtain passports by illegal means is on the rise.

The detected ones are being referred to law enforcement officials.

Abeykoon said yesterday that in addition to the fingerprints, authorities were also looking at the possibility of including enhanced facial identification methods in the passport.

He added that a comprehensive data base including the novel features would be prepared if the program gets the go ahead. Sri Lanka's ever increasing migrant labour force, which goes beyond 1.6 million has been identified as one of the main cause for the rise in this trend.

Authorities have also voiced concern over the rise of human trafficking in the country. Sri Lanka was recently identified by a US based report as a transit point for human traffickers.