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Immigration Dept awaits  approval to disclose  MPs’ citizenship details

31 Oct 2022

  • Two personal RTI requests received
  • Controller General’s permission pending
BY Mirudhula Thambiah The Department of Immigration and Emigration is awaiting approval from its Controller General to provide details regarding the citizenship status of the 225 MPs, following two personal Right to Information (RTI) requests made to its office. Speaking to The Morning yesterday (30), Department of Immigration and Emigration Media Spokesman Piyumi Bandara said that following two personal requests made through RTI Act, the department is now awaiting approval from the Controller General to provide details of the citizenship status of all parliamentarians. “Though we have received two personal requests under the RTI, we have to obtain recommendation from our Controller General to provide citizenship details regarding all parliamentarians,” she added. Bandara further said that through the system at the Department of Immigration and Emigration, the names of dual citizens inside Parliament could be ascertained. “Through our system, we can reveal the dual citizens in Parliament. It is not a special investigation – through their birth dates and national identity card numbers, we can find the relvant details, but only after getting the approval from the Controller General,” she added. Meanwhile, last week, People’s Alliance for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) Executive Director Rohana Hettiarachchi told The Morning that his organisation had written to the Speaker to take action in regard to MPs holding dual citizenship and filed an RTI request with the Department of Immigration and Emigration to identify dual-citizen MPs. Once the information regarding MPs holding dual citizenship is obtained, it will be publicised for them to resign, failing which legal action will be taken, he asserted. “We have included the names of all 225 MPs in our RTI appeal, and requested details of those holding dual citizenship. Once we get the information and publicise it, I think MPs those who have dual citizenship will decide to resign. If they fail to take this decision, we will have to get a court order. We are awaiting evidence to take legal action,” he added. The newly adopted 22nd Amendment to the Constitution does not permit dual citizens to be MPs.  


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