Foreign Ministry clearance required for foreigners seeking marriage to Sri Lankans

Clearance from the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defense has been made mandatory for foreigners seeking marriage to Sri Lankan locals.

According to foreign media reports, Sri Lanka has made it mandatory for foreigners to get clearance from the Ministry of Defense if they want to marry locals in view of national security.

The Sri Lankan Registrar General issued a circular on October 18 stating that the decision was taken for national security reasons.

According to the circular, the concerned authorities had discussed that marriages between foreigners and Sri Lankan citizens could create national security and problems.

The circular further states that the security clearance report will confirm that the foreign party has not been convicted of any crime during the last six months.

In addition, according to government officials, the move was necessary to protect locals from being cheated on by foreigners in marriages.

On the other hand, the new law, which will come into force on January 1, 2022, is also being criticized by the opposition and social organizations.