The Australian government has funded a project to introduce biometric passports in Sri Lanka, in line with efforts by both countries to tackle the flow of refugees.
Australia has provided Rs500mn (£2.3mn) for the project, with Sri Lanka contributing another Rs50mn (£230,000).
The project, spearheaded by the International Organisation for Migration, will introduce Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) and digital pantographs in line with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards, reported The Island.
"The government is under pressure to enhance security features due to extremely low international estimation for Sri Lankan passports," an official told the paper.
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
