Sri Lanka Detains 21 Indians Misusing Tourist Visas

Sri Lanka apprehended 21 Indian nationals who were visiting the country under tourist visas but were discovered to be misusing them.

According to media reports, these individuals were allegedly engaged in running an online marketing center in violation of the terms of their tourist visas, which allow for relaxed norms.

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While the identities of the detained individuals were not disclosed, they were reported to be between the ages of 24 and 25, all of whom had entered Sri Lanka with tourist visas.

The Department of Immigration and Emigration detained these Indian citizens on Tuesday and has initiated further inquiries to determine if there are additional groups involved or if there is an organized scheme behind the misuse of visas.

Although an official statement from law enforcement is awaited, preliminary investigations reportedly led to a raid on a rented property in Negombo City, where the individuals were operating the online marketing center.

Under Sri Lankan regulations and those of most countries, individuals holding tourist visas are not permitted to engage in any form of paid or unpaid employment.

These individuals, who arrived in Sri Lanka between February and March on tourist visas, were found to have violated the terms of their visas. Subsequently, they were transferred to the department’s detention center in Welisara as per the instructions of relevant authorities.

These Indian nationals had taken advantage of Sri Lanka’s visa exemption for certain countries, which was in effect until March 31 as part of efforts to boost tourism in the economically challenged nation.