Sri Lanka to monitor foreigners electronically

Oct 04, 2011 (LBO) - Sri Lanka is developing a system to track and monitor foreign nationals as they enter and travel around the country, after a new online travel approval system is fully operational, an official said. The immigration department already had a 'migration intelligence unit' but another special unit would be created in the future he said.

The immigration office would find it easier to nab overstaying foreigners through this method, he said.

Sri Lanka is starting at electronic travel authorization program at 50 dollars a person for a 30-day stay with double entry from January 01.

It would scrap free visa-on-arrival to 78 countries.

Controller general of Sri Lanka's immigration office, Chulananda Perera told reporters at a recent media briefing that the state also planned to monitor and track foreigners as they went around the country.

"Each hotel and guest house will be given a machine," he said. "Foreigners will have to keep their passport on this machine before going to their room."

Perera said the state would monitor foreigners as they travelled around the country from place to place.