Australia funds Sri Lanka’s transition to biometric passports

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.

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