'On arrival visa' abuse on the increase

Rasika Somarathna

The Investigation Unit of the Immigration and Emigration Department yesterday arrested 16 South Asians, including five women for violating visa regulations.

The 16 South Asian passport holders were working as street vendors in Colombo, while holding tourist visas, Immigration sources said.

Foreigners entering the country through tourist visas are banned from working or engaging in business directly or indirectly, according to Sri Lanka's visa regulations.

According to Immigration sources, a majority of these illegal immigrants take advantage of the on arrival tourist Visa system in Sri Lanka with citizens of 80 countries including SAARC members being issued visa's on arrival.

The majority of these illegal immigrant are from South Asian and East Asian countries and they work in hotels, jewellery shops, construction sites, IT sector, massage therapy centres, casino's, fishing/agricultural sectors and as street vendors abusing regulations in their tourist visas.

Some have been found to be involved in drug trafficking, human smuggling, prostitution and other illegal activities.

According to Immigration sources, it is very difficult to impose restrictions owing their effect on tourism and therefore the Department has taken steps to expand the Unit with the intention of carrying out periodical checks.

The Department has also taken steps to develop its Data base and install a surveillance system to obtain as much information as possible on these illegal immigrants.

According to Immigration sources in 2006 the Unit had arrested more than 400 foreigners who had overstayed and abused their visas.

This year too the trend has continued with the number of arrests exceeding 220 of which 175 has already been deported.

Investigations are continuing into the latest arrests under the supervision of Assistant Controller for Investigations G. Amarasena.