By: Staff Writer
August 04, Colombo (LNW): Amid a surge in illegal migration attempts driven by the economic crisis, immigration authorities caution against falling prey to racketeers exploiting their desperation.
The Immigration and Emigration Department has noted a dramatic rise in intercepted forged documents at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) over the past five years, with 181 forged documents intercepted in 2023 alone.
This is a significant increase from the 62 cases reported in 2022, according to the 2023 Annual Report of the Border Enforcement Unit.
The report, released at a ceremony at Waters Edge in Battaramulla, attended by high-ranking government officials and foreign ambassadors, outlines various types of document and identity frauds.
These include 110 counterfeit cases, 25 biodata page substitutions, 13 impersonations, 11 face substitutions, 11 fraudulently obtained passports, 4 fantasy documents, 4 document alterations, 2 counterfeit Sri Lankan affidavits, 1 stolen Sri Lankan affidavit, and 1 stolen blank document.
The Border Enforcement Unit is committed to collecting information on individuals and victims involved in transnational organized crime and sharing it with law enforcement agencies, including details on human trafficking.
Recently, several foreigners have been apprehended at BIA during illegal migration attempts.
Among them were an Indian couple attempting to travel to the Netherlands on forged passports and a Chadian national with a forged Canadian passport.
P.P. Aluthge, Chief Immigration Officer of the Border Surveillance Unit (BSU), highlighted the various methods employed in human smuggling.
Some individuals present genuine Sri Lankan passports and travel documents at immigration counters, holding legal visit visas to destinations like Dubai, Malé, Thailand, or Malaysia.
However, they also carry separate forged passports and travel documents, intended for use after disembarking to reach their final destinations.
Mr. Aluthge emphasized the skill and technical support that BSU officers possess in detecting such forgeries.
The BSU maintains close relations with agencies such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and foreign missions in Colombo, including those of the US, Australia, Canada, and Switzerland.
These relationships facilitate local and international training for immigration officers and provide the technology necessary to identify forged documents.
Additionally, several embassies have stationed Airline Liaison Officers (ALO) at BIA to assist immigration officers. For instance, in the case of a chef caught with a forged Canadian visa, the ALO of the Canadian High Commission confirmed the visa’s falsification.
Sri Lankan authorities have had success in preventing large groups of illegal migrants from setting out by boat. As a result, human smugglers are now sending individuals to other countries in the region, from where boats are launched.
