Sri Lanka, May 30 -- The Ministry of Public Security said that the decision to end the 24-hour passport issuing service at the Department of Immigration and Emigration was made after considering the high operational costs of maintaining the round-the-clock service and a gradual decline in the number of daily applicants.

However, despite the Ministry's claims, long queues were observed at the department, with many applicants expressing frustration over prolonged waiting times under the one-day service.

The Department of Immigration and Emigration, with Cabinet approval, initially launched the 24-hour service on February 18, 2025, for a three-month period to cater to urgent passport needs.

The department said that the 24-hour one-day pa...