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Security clearance no longer needed to marry foreigners?

04 Nov 2022

  • Registrar General and Defence, Health Ministries in talks to relax requirements, alternative regulations to be mooted  
  • 1,648 foreign-local marriage applications approved 
BY Mirudhula Thambiah Registrar General P.S. Prabath Abeywardhana is in discussions with the Ministry of Defence to relax the requirement of a controversial Security Clearance Report for foreigners to marry a Sri Lankan. Requirements such as the Security Clearance Report and the declaration of health conditions of the foreigner to marry a Sri Lankan are expected to be relaxed in the upcoming weeks, Abeywardhana told The Morning yesterday (3). He noted that relaxation will be implemented only after consultations with the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Health. Abeywardhana said that discussions are currently underway with the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Health in regard to the relaxation of the said restrictions. He further noted that Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, as the subject Minister, had directed to look into the possibility of relaxing the restrictions on marriages between Sri Lankans and foreigners.  “We are currently having discussions with the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Health. After the discussions, we can submit the outcome of the discussions and of the possibilities of relaxing the restrictions to the Premier. Once the discussions with both the institutions are over, we would bring that into effect. Only after the discussions can we consider relaxing the restrictions,” he added.  Abeywardhana further said that the restrictions have been imposed according to the requirements of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Defence.  “It had been imposed for their purpose. Once we relax or withdraw these restrictions, there should be alternative regulations implemented in order to fulfill their requirements. So, we will have to examine that based on the discussions with the two ministries,” he added. He also said: “There is no major issue just because these restrictions are currently in force, because none of the marriage applications have been rejected so far. This year, after the said circular came into effect, 1,701 requests have reached our department, out of which 1,648 have been approved and 53 are pending, which are recent requests.” According to Circular No. 18/2021, issued in October 2021, the foreign party will have to submit a security clearance report and a self declaration of their health condition to the Registrar General’s Department for the registration of the marriage.  There were legal actions taken soon after the above circular came into effect on 18 October 2021. Attorney-at-Law Thishya Weragoda filed a complaint at the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka on 26 December 2021, against the new regulations which state that the marriage between a foreigner and a Sri Lankan citizen needs a security clearance from the Defence Ministry. He also filed a writ petition in the Court of Appeal in December 2021, challenging the same controversial circular issued by the Registrar General’s Department. Attempts made to obtain a comment in this regard from the Ministry of Defence proved futile.


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