Sri Lanka immigration authorities granted dual citizenship to 1,750 of its expatriates on Thursday, a minister said.

Internal Affairs Minister S.B. Navinna told Xinhua there were as many as 23,000 expatriates who applied for dual citizenship, but only 1750 could secure the chance this time.

He said the government, formed after the 2015 Presidential Election, decided to give this right to Sri Lankans domiciled abroad so that they could stake a claim to their motherland.

The minister said these expatriates were forced to flee the country at different points in the past due to the conflict.

"Now the conflict is over. They can come and live here if they choose to. They are given all the rights as citizens of this country," he said.

A function was held in Colombo by the Department of Immigration and Emigration yesterday,  to mark the distribution of dual citizenship certificates, Xinhua reported.