Citizenship (Amendment)



Citizenship (Amendment)
AN ACT TO AMEND THE CITIZENSHIP ACT

BE it enacted by the Parliament of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka as follows:

[25th November
, 1987
]
Short title.

1. This Act may be cited as the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, No. 45 of 1987.

Amendment of section 19 of Chapter 349.

2. Section 19 of the Citizenship Act is hereby amended as follows: –

(1) by the renumbering of that section as subsection (1) of that section;

(2) by the addition immediately after the renumbered subsection (1), of the following new subsections:

” (2) Any person who ceases, under subsection (1) of this section or section 20 or section 21, to be a citizen of Sri Lanka may at any time thereafter make application to the Minister for a declaration that such person has resumed the status of a citizen of Sri Lanka, notwithstanding the fact that he is, and continues to be, a citizen of any other country; and the Minister may make the declaration for which the application is made if he is satisfied that the making of such declaration would, in all the circumstances of the case, be of benefit to Sri Lanka.

(3) Any citizen of Sri Lanka may, at any time prior to his ceasing, under subsection (1) of this section or section 20 or section 21, to be a citizen of Sri Lanka, make application to the Minister for a declaration that such person retains the status of a citizen of Sri Lanka from and after a date to be specified in such declaration, notwithstanding the fact that he is, and continues to be, from and after that date a citizen of any other country; and the Minister may make the declaration ; for which application is made, if he is satisfied that the making of such declaration, would, in all the circumstances of the case, be of benefit to Sri Lanka.

(4) Where a declaration is made in relation to any person under subsection (2) or subsection (3), that person’ shall, with effect from such date as may be specified in the declaration again have or continue to have, as the case may be, the status of a citizen of Sri Lanka, notwithstanding the fact that he is a citizen also of any other country.

(5) So long as a declaration under subsection (2) or subsection (3), is in force in relation to any person, the provisions of this Act shall not be read and construed as requiring that person to renounce the citizenship of any other country of which he is a citizen.

(6) The provisions of section 23 and section 24 shall not apply to any person in relation to whom a declaration under subsection (2) or subsection (3) has been made.

(7) The Minister may, at any time, revoke a declaration made under subsection (2) or subsection (3) if he is satisfied that the person in relation to whom such declaration was made has so conducted himself that his continuance as a citizen of Sri Lanka will not be of benefit to Sri Lanka. ” ;

(3) by the substitution for the marginal note to that section of the following new marginal note: “Renunciation of citizenship and special provisions relating to dual citizenship.”.