Fact Check: False Claim About Sri Lanka Granting Citizenship to Rohingya Refugees

CLAIM: Sri Lanka’s Cabinet spokesperson and Health and Media Minister Nalinda Jayatissa announced that the government would grant citizenship to Rohingya refugees in Sri Lanka.

FACT CHECK: FALSE

A social media post falsely claimed that Minister Nalinda Jayatissa made the announcement during a Cabinet press briefing.

A review of recent Cabinet briefings and reported Cabinet decisions found no such statement or government decision. The minister’s media secretary also confirmed that Jayatissa had not announced that Rohingya refugees would be granted Sri Lankan citizenship.

The claim appears to have circulated amid renewed discussion about Rohingya refugees in Sri Lanka. In January 2025, Jayatissa had said that authorities were considering the issue with attention to human rights, national security and regional security, but this was not an announcement of citizenship.

Verdict: FALSE. There is no evidence in the reviewed sources that the Sri Lankan government announced plans to grant citizenship to Rohingya refugees.

Via FactCrescendo