Sri Lanka's Minister of Internal Affairs S. B. Navinna on Tuesday clarified that the government will not suspend awarding of dual citizenship as it plans to encourage its citizens living abroad to return to the country and contribute to development.
Speaking at the citizenship awarding ceremony, he said that the heightened interest to obtain dual citizenship by Sri Lankans living abroad is a testimony on the positive political and economic development of the country, reports Lanka page.
The Sri Lankan immigration department awarded dual citizenship to over 1200 of its citizens living abroad while 4232 Sri Lankans have so far obtained the citizenship.
The Controller General of Immigration said that over 20,000 applications have been received by the department.
The department had suspended giving dual citizenship in 2011.
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