Sri Lanka and China are set to enter into a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen cooperation on immigration and emigration regulatory matters.

The agreement will be signed between Sri Lanka’s Department of Immigration and Emigration and China’s National Immigration Administration.

The proposed MoU is expected to strengthen cooperation between the two countries through the exchange of official information and intelligence, while facilitating visas, immigration and emigration-related arrangements for citizens engaged in business, investment, tourism, technical and scientific activities, according to a statement issued by the Department of Government Information.

It will also provide a framework to facilitate official engagements, including negotiations and tourism-related activities involving heads of institutions and official representatives from both countries.

A key objective of the agreement is to strengthen measures against organized crime, including human trafficking and human smuggling. The two sides are also expected to conduct workshops to enhance the knowledge, skills and capacity of officers involved in immigration-related activities.

The proposed draft MoU has received clearance from Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Employment and Tourism, and the Attorney General.

The agreement is expected to further strengthen institutional cooperation between Sri Lanka and China while improving coordination on immigration matters and efforts to combat transnational crime.