Eight Indian nationals, including a woman, have been detained by Sri Lankan immigration authorities for misusing their tourist visa while operating an IT business on the island nation, officials said in Colombo on Tuesday.
The individuals were apprehended during a recent raid on a residence in the upscale Cinnamon Gardens, where they were reportedly conducting IT-related activities.
All of the detained individuals were holding tourist visas, with one person having overstayed their visa period. It's Employment is strictly prohibited under tourist visa rules in Sri Lanka. An official was quoted as saying by PTI that all the eight accused will be deported once documentation work is completed.
Also read: ITC enters international market with ultra-luxury Ratnadipa in Sri Lanka A similar incident was detected in mid-March when authorities detained 21 Indians in Negombo, a popular West Coast resort town, for misusing tourist visas. On May 6, 2024,
Sri Lanka extended free tourist visas for travellers from India, China, Russia, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia.
Moreover, there was a recent controversy, where a Sri Lankan national claimed to have been asked to over-pay for his wife's visa. Following which,
Indian authorities clarified that the company involved in such activities was not based or formed in India.
At the time, Sri Lanka's Immigration authorities claimed that they had regained control of the Visa on Arrival counters at Colombo International Airport after the alleged incident involving the Indian company. However, senior immigration department official Jayasinghe Bandara told PTI that the company faced challenges in executing smooth operations as no trial runs were performed, which left passengers dissatisfied with the service.
