A bag with 180 passports has been found in a drain in the Maharagama area.

According to reports, the passports had been obtained by a foreign employment agency operating in the Maharagama area, promising foreign employment.

It is reported that the owner of the agency had fled the area, after duping a number of people and swindling nearly Rs. 260 million.

The Department of Immigration and Emigration has stated that the methodology of the present e-visa system has not impacted the Department’s power of approving, issuing or not issuing visa, mentioned in the Immigrants and Emigrants Act No. 20 of 1948.

In a detailed statement, shown below, the department has elaborated as follows :

VFS Global has issued a statement in response to clarify certain concerns which have been raised.

In the statement the company says the Department of Immigration & Emigration (DI&E) signed a tripartite contract with GBS Technology Services & IVS Global FZCO being the prime contractor and VFS Global being the technology partner for the Sri Lanka government’s new E-Visa solution. www.srilankaevisa.lk.

The company notes it manages non-judgmental and administrative tasks related to the application process only and the decision to grant or reject the visa is at the sole discretion of the Department of Immigration and Emigration.