Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2015-07-22

Obtaining a plot of land from the Government owned Gm/ Katana/ Kaludiyawalawatta for the Department of Immigration and Emigration

- Recently, there is a significant increase in the arrival of foreigners to Sri Lanka. There is a tendency that some of such foreigners continue to stay in the country even after the expiry of their visa. Through the networking of administrative work in outstations, currently implemented by the Department of Immigration and Emigration, it has become possible to identify the said overstaying foreigners within a short period of time, and the Department is vested with the responsibility of providing the necessary facilities to detain such persons, until necessary action is taken to deport them from the country. Since it would be more productive to utilize a location close to the Bandaranaike International Airport, Katunayake, where the activities pertaining to immigration and emigration of foreigners mainly take place, the proposal made by Hon. John Amarathunga, the Minister of Public Order and Christian Affairs, to transfer an extent of 100 perches of land from the Kaludiyawalawatta land, Katana, Gampaha which has been vested with the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority for the establishment of a Tourism Centre, to the Department of Immigration and Emigration, was approved by the Cabinet.