Nilanthi is a Senior Immigration Investigations Officer at the Department of Immigration and Emigration of Sri Lanka, currently attached to the Border Surveillance Unit. With over 15 years of experience in the field of immigration, she has served in diverse operational roles, including border control, passenger clearance, offloading procedures, secondary inspections, and the detection of documents and identity fraud.
She has played a key role in coordinating Travel Document and Biometric (TD&B) verifications in collaboration with the Document Examination Support Center (DESC). Her work has contributed significantly to Sri Lanka’s efforts in verifying suspicious travel documents, preventing irregular departures, and supporting international information exchange. Nilanthi is also an active contributor to the Advanced Document Examination Network (ANDEX), where she represents Sri Lanka’s commitment to enhancing regional document security, capacity building, and technical cooperation.
As a Secondee to the Regional Support Office (RSO) of the Bali Process, Nilanthi brings a strong operational perspective grounded in field experience. Her work supports the RSO’s efforts in tackling transnational crimes such as human trafficking and migrant smuggling, with a focus on data analysis, stakeholder engagement, and joint capacity-building initiatives. She contributes to key activities including toolkit development, secondee reporting, ICE Team coordination, and RSO-led workshops.
Nilanthi’s secondment runs from mid of July 2025 to January 2026. During this period, she is committed to sharing Sri Lanka’s experiences, strengthening regional cooperation, and contributing to policy discussions aimed at improving border governance and protection responses.
Recommended film: Lion – Based on a true story, this film follows the journey of a young boy who becomes separated from his family in India and later embarks on a search for identity and belonging. The story powerfully highlights issues of cross-border movement, vulnerability, and the importance of accurate identification—making it a valuable resource for migration and protection professionals.
Email: Nilanthi.Illeperumage@rso.baliprocess.net