The UK’s Home Office will restrict work and study visa applications from nationalities including Sri Lankans, Pakistanis, and Nigerians, who are most likely to overstay and claim asylum.

Under Labour’s plans to crack down on abuse of the system, visas will be rejected for individuals who fit the profile of someone who will go on to claim asylum and are from countries with high rates of asylum claims in the UK.

Officials will also use bank statements submitted by visa applicants to reject claims that they are destitute and require taxpayer-funded accommodation, such as hotels.

It is understood that the measures will be announced as part of efforts to prevent work and study visas from being used as a backdoor into Britain’s asylum system. They will be part of the government’s Immigration White Paper, due to be published next week, that will detail Sir Keir Starmer’s plan for reducing net migration, which stood at 728,000 last year.

The curbs are likely to prompt a backlash from those countries included, who may feel it discriminates against them. Legal sources said the move would be discriminatory and would be challenged in the courts.

Immigration reforms were promised in Labour’s general election manifesto last year but have taken on added impetus after the party was trounced by Nigel Farage’s Reform in last week’s local elections.

Other reforms expected include restrictions that will force foreign graduates to leave the UK unless they get a graduate-level job, which will be based on skill levels rather than salary.

Being granted asylum gives individuals the opportunity to stay in the UK permanently, whereas work and study visas are only temporary. Rejected asylum seekers can prolong their stay — sometimes indefinitely — by making repeated appeals to frustrate their deportation.

Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, is concerned about a sharp increase in migrants on work and study visas who go on to claim asylum and are housed in Home Office-provided accommodation.

Last year, 40,000 asylum claims were lodged by people who had held a UK visa, 37 per cent of the total and more than the 35,000 asylum applications from migrants who arrived on small boats. Nearly 10,000 asylum claimants who had originally arrived in the UK legally on work or study visas were living in taxpayer-funded accommodation, such as hotels, at some point last year.

Cooper is planning to introduce measures to bar migrants who came to the UK on a work or study visa from claiming taxpayer-funded accommodation. Asylum seekers can claim accommodation and other financial support if they are destitute or likely to become destitute. However, work and study visa holders must prove they have sufficient funds to sustain themselves while in the UK.

Officials will be instructed to use the bank statements submitted by visa holders as part of their assessment when deciding whether to grant them asylum accommodation. This will make it significantly harder for asylum seekers to claim free accommodation if they came to the UK on a visa.

The Home Office is also building intelligence to enable caseworkers to spot patterns in the profile of people who are most likely to abuse work and study visas as a loophole to claim asylum. They have earmarked Pakistani, Nigerian and Sri Lankan visa holders as the most likely to go on to apply for asylum, according to government sources.

Officials are working with the National Crime Agency (NCA) to build a model that would reject a visa claim from a migrant who fits the profile of someone likely to go on to claim asylum.

They have identified patterns of behaviour, such as low engagement in university courses, of individuals who have used the routes to claim asylum.

The Home Office and NCA will also investigate interactions of visa applicants from countries with high rates of asylum claims to check whether they have been in contact with suspected people smugglers or individuals who teach migrants how to use the UK’s visa system as a back door to claiming asylum.

Of the 40,000 asylum claims lodged last year by people who had held a UK visa, 16,000 were originally foreign students, 11,500 had a work visa, 9,500 had a visitor visa, and the remaining 7 per cent had other forms of leave.

Asylum seekers can also claim protection for family members who are with them. There has been a surge in the number of migrants on study and work visas bringing dependents in the last three years, with Indians and Nigerians the most likely to do so. (The Times)

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The Supreme Court has rejected a bail application filed on behalf of the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration, Harsha Ilukpitiya, who is in remand custody over contempt of court charges. 

Harsha Ilukpitiya has been in remand custody for nearly six months after the Supreme Court ordered him to be remanded in September 2025 for failing to implement the Court’s order regarding the controversial visa issuance system by global visa processing service, VFS Global.

The visa issuance system by global visa processing service, VFS Global and its charges came under the spotlight last year after a local passenger had raised concerns over the process, with the video of the incident widely circulated on social media.

A probe launched by the Committee on Public Finance also found that VFS Global had been selected without calling for official bids and had resulted in the Department of Immigration and Emigration losing out on receiving competitive rates for visa issuance.

In August last year, the Supreme Court issued an Interim Order temporarily halting the Cabinet’s decision to outsource its visa application process to GBS Technology Services & IVS Global- FZCO, a VFS VF Worldwide Holdings LTD-led consortium.

The court ordered the reinstatement of the previous quick Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) process, which the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration, Harsha Ilukpitiya, failed to comply with, resulting in his arrest. 

The lack of a proper visa issuance system at the time severely inconvenienced tourists visiting Sri Lanka, with long queues regularly reported at the visa counters at the Katunayake Airport. (Newswire)

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The period of visa-free stays in Thailand is set to be reduced from 60 days to 30 days for several countries, including Sri Lanka, the Bangkok Post reported.

According to Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Ministry, the decision is taken to curb the risk of illegal businesses exploiting the visa exemption scheme.

However, additional details would be discussed before formally announcing the change to the regulation.

Since July 2024, the government has allowed passport holders from 93 countries to enter Thailand for tourism purposes for a period of up to 60 days. 

However, tourism operators expressed concern over the extended period as long-haul tourists typically stayed for only 14-21 days on average, while short-haul travellers spent less than two weeks per trip or around seven days on average.

The Association of Thai Travel Agents earlier raised this concern with the ministry as there is a growing number of foreigners illegally working or doing businesses in the country, while the Thai Hotels Association believed this was partly to blame for the increase in the number of condos being illegally rented out to guests on a daily basis.

The ministry said a special joint operational centre has investigated illicit activities in Phuket, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Koh Samui and Bangkok. (Newswire)

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The Tourist Police of the Kandy Police Headquarters has arrested an individual with a US Passport who had overstayed in Sri Lanka for over 10 months violating visa conditions.

The Police said the suspect had arrived in Sri Lanka on 31 December 2023 and had stayed at a hotel in Kandy.

His visa had expired on 30 March 2024 and the man had remained in the country without extending or renewing his visa, while his US passport contains a Sri Lankan name.

Interrogation of the hotel staff had revealed that the man had remained inside the hotel room for most of the time using his laptop. (Newswire)

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The Ministry of Internal Affairs in Lithuania has announced new regulations for residence permit applications, effective from 01 December 2024. 

Issuing a statement, the Honorary Consulate of Lithuania in Sri Lanka said that Lithuania will implement stricter conditions for residence permit applications through visa service providers.

The Honorary Consulate further said eligibility is limited to family reunification, academic programs (including doctoral studies), highly skilled employment, and specific investment roles.

However, applications for seasonal work and secondments are excluded, it added. 

The Honorary Consulate noted that due to the closure of local visa service offices, applicants must travel to neighbouring countries to apply. 

Increased scrutiny is a response to security concerns related to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, it added. (Newswire)

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A group of Bangladeshi nationals have been arrested from a house in Seeduwa for violating visa conditions.

According to the Police, the group of six was arrested while staying at a house in the Amandoluwa area in Seeduwa. 

The group was arrested during a raid conducted last night by the Seeduwa Police based on a tip-off. 

The Bangladeshis aged 18, 23, 26, 39, and 43 years were found to have been illegally staying in Sri Lanka with expired visas. 

The Seeduwa Police is conducting investigations. (Newswire)

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The Foreign Correspondents’ Association of Sri Lanka has sought clarification from the Ministry of Public Security on the procedure to obtain visas for foreign journalists covering the 2024 Presidential Elections, due to the current issues related to Sri Lanka’s visa issuance system. 

In a letter addressed to Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles, the Association pointed out that despite assurances that foreign correspondents intending to cover the presidential elections will have unimpeded access to the country, several overseas Sri Lankan missions have informed they are no longer able to issue “journalist” visas. 

“Several of our colleagues who have applied for visas through Sri Lankan missions in their home countries have been informed that, following the Supreme Court’s decision in early August, these missions are no longer able to issue “journalist” visas. In the past, these visas allowed journalists to obtain media accreditation from the Director-General of Information. 

“Given this new situation, we would be grateful for clarification on the correct procedure for obtaining a visa, as well as the required documentation. This will help ensure that all relevant authorities are aware of the process,” the Association said.

The Foreign Correspondents’ Association of Sri Lanka further said that foreign media organisations will not deploy staff without proper accreditation, and therefore, the updated system for obtaining visas and media accreditation needed to be communicated to avoid any hindrance to journalistic duties during this important election period. 

Sri Lanka is currently facing an issue with visa issuance at the Katunayake Airport, after the new visa issuance system by global visa processing service, VFS Global and its charges came under the spotlight earlier this year. 

A probe launched by the Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) also found that VFS Global had been picked without calling for official bids, resulting in the Department of Immigration and Emigration losing out on receiving competitive rates for visa issuance.

In July this year, three petitions were filed at the Supreme Court against Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles and the government against the VFS visa procedure. The Supreme Court had, thereafter, suspended the VFS visa issuance system and ordered the old system to be re-implemented, which is yet to be enforced. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka’s on-arrival visa system will continue until the court’s verdict is issued on the case filed against the visa issuance system, Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles said. 

Addressing the media yesterday, Minister Alles said that 12 additional counters have been established at the Katunayake Airport for this purpose.

Stating that queues were reported at the existing counters due to several flights arriving at the same time, the minister said as a solution, 12 more counters have been set up to issue on-arrival visas.

Minister Alles revealed that due to the interim order issued by the court against visa processing company VFS Global, measures are being taken to issue on-arrival visas to tourists for 30 to 60 days. 

The new visa issuance system by global visa processing service, VFS Global and its charges came under the spotlight after a local passenger had raised concerns over the process, with the video of the incident being widely circulated on social media.

A probe launched by the Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) also found that VFS Global had been picked without calling for official bids, resulting in the Department of Immigration and Emigration losing out on receiving competitive rates for visa issuance.

In July this year, three petitions were filed at the Supreme Court against Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles and the government against the VFS visa procedure. Opposition MPs Patali Champika Ranawaka, M.A. Sumanthiran, and Rauff Hakeem filed the three petitions. 

The lack of a proper visa issuance system has severely inconvenienced tourists visiting Sri Lanka, with long queues regularly reported at the visa counters at the Katunayake Airport.

In a bid to resolve the issue, earlier in September, the Cabinet of Ministers authorized President Ranil Wickremesinghe to implement visa-free access for 38 countries with immediate effect.

Foreign Minister Ali Sabry announced that the government has adopted Singapore’s streamlined ‘one-chop’ approach, where a visa or a visa extension is issued with just one official stamp or seal (‘chop’) on the applicant’s passport. (Newswire)

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Samagi Jana Sandhanaya Presidential candidate MP Sajith Premadasa vows to annul the “corrupt VFS visa agreement signed by the current government”.

According to MP Premadasa’s election manifesto launched yesterday, a new modern system will be established to allow foreign tourists to obtain visas easily at a lower cost.

Additionally, steps will also be taken to ensure accountability for this transaction, which is considered the largest corruption case in Sri Lanka. 

The election manifesto further states that a Samagi Jana Sandhanaya government will implement a visa-free entry programme for citizens of 100 countries.

Under the programme, tourists will be allowed to visit Sri Lanka for up to one month without the need for a pre-arrival visa.

The proposal addresses the problems faced due to the current visa issuance process at the Katunayake Airport.

The new visa issuance system by global visa processing service, VFS Global and its charges came under the spotlight after a local passenger had raised concerns over the process, with the video of the incident being widely circulated on social media.

A probe launched by the Committee on Public Finance also found that VFS Global had been picked without calling for official bids and had resulted in the Department of Immigration and Emigration losing out on receiving competitive rates for visa issuance.

In July this year, three petitions were filed at the Supreme Court against Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles and the government against the VFS visa procedure. Opposition MPs Patali Champika Ranawaka, M.A. Sumanthiran, and Rauff Hakeem filed the three petitions. 

Recently addressing the media, the three MPs who are members of the Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) had also raised concerns over the involvement of a bank account in Dubai concerning the income received via the visa application process operated by VFS Global at the Katunayake Airport.

Briefing the media on the petition filed at the Supreme Court, together with CoPF members Rauff Hakeem and M.A. Sumanthiran against the VFS visa deal, MP Patali Champika Ranawaka alleged that the income of VFS Global was being transferred to an account in Dubai.

MP Ranawaka further said that it had been found that the money was being deposited from the Dubai account to the Sri Lanka Immigration Department’s account only after one week.

The lack of a proper visa issuance system has severely inconvenienced tourists visiting Sri Lanka, with long queues regularly reported at the visa counters at the Katunayake Airport. (Newswire)

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Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) member Patali Champika Ranawaka has raised concerns over the involvement of a bank account in Dubai concerning the income received via the visa application process operated by VFS Global at the Katunayake Airport.

Briefing the media on the petition filed at the Supreme Court, together with CoPF members Rauff Hakeem and M.A. Sumanthiran against the VFS visa deal, MP Ranawaka alleged that the income of VFS Global was being transferred to an account in Dubai.

MP Ranawaka further said that it had been found that the money was being deposited from the Dubai account to the Sri Lanka Immigration Department’s account only after a period of one week.

“VFS Global charges US$ 25.77 per tourist. However, it charges less than US$ 4 in Brazil. Therefore, where does the remainder of the money go? It has been found that the money goes to an account in Dubai and after a week is deposited to Sri Lanka Immigration’s account. 

“The account holders can invest this money within that week. Whose account is this? Where does the money go from that account? Where is this GBS institute located?” he questioned. 

MP Ranawaka further said that they had also presented facts in the court that the ministry has not made any correct identification about the background of this institution.

He alleged that the relevant ministry officials have not taken steps to investigate these concerns and have not even conducted a probe into where the VFS institutions are located. 

In July, three petitions were filed at the Supreme Court against Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles and the government against the VFS visa procedure introduced at the Katunayake Airport. Opposition MPs Patali Champika Ranawaka, M.A. Sumanthiran, and Rauff Hakeem filed the three petitions. 

In their petitions, they called on the court to issue an order suspending the visa system as there was a potential threat of the breach of vital security data from the nation.

The new visa issuance system by global visa processing service, VFS Global and its charges came under the spotlight after a local passenger had raised concerns over the process, with the video of the incident being widely circulated on social media.

A probe launched by the Committee on Public Finance also found that VFS Global had been picked without calling for official bids and had resulted in the Department of Immigration and Emigration losing out on receiving competitive rates for visa issuance. (Newswire)

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This initiative will take effect from October 1, 2024, and will last for six months. The decision, approved by the Cabinet.

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Despite the Supreme Court ruling, the visa and immigration process remains crippled by the dark interventions of rogue politicians, MP Patali Champika Ranawaka has alleged.

Taking to ‘X’, MP Ranawaka revealed that state-owned Mobitel was willing to provide its services for visa issuance.

“Mobitel stands ready to resume operations, but the Immigration Controller is under oppressive control,” the MP further said. 

His remarks come after the Supreme Court issued an Interim Order in August, temporarily halting the Cabinet’s decision to outsource its visa application process to GBS Technology Services & IVS Global- FZCO, VFS VF Worldwide Holdings LTD led consortium.

Announcing that this suspension will remain in effect until the petitions filed against the decision are finally resolved, the court also issued an interim injunction on the implementation of the agreements with the two foreign entities.

Several fundamental rights petitions were filed in the Supreme Court calling for action against the procedural violations and abuse of public trust by officials in the procurement of private entities to handle the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) system for the issuance of visas for tourists visiting Sri Lanka.

The visa issuance system by global visa processing service, VFS Global and its charges came under the spotlight after a local passenger had raised concerns over the process, with the video of the incident being widely circulated on social media.

A probe launched by the Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) also found that VFS Global had been picked without calling for official bids and had resulted in the Department of Immigration and Emigration losing out on receiving competitive rates for visa issuance.

“If competitive bids were called for then the government could have obtained the services for a fee less than US$ 25,” CoPF Chairman MP Harsha de Silva said, presenting the CoPF report in Parliament recently. 

Stating that local firm Mobitel had also in the past offered to provide some service for US$1, MP de Silva said however, no specifications had been issued on the criteria for the visa issuance service amidst which VFS Global had been selected. 

He said the CoPF is of the view that if specification documents had been available then, not only Mobitel but other overseas firms would also have had an opportunity to engage in competitive bidding for the visa issuance service in Sri Lanka, adding that an issue has arisen as to why the selection of firms had been conducted without a specification document. (Newswire)

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Opposition MP Harsha de Silva says attempts are being made to imprison him, over claims that he misled Parliament. 

MP Harsha de Silva said that he refutes all allegations levelled against him concerning the report of the Parliament Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) on the online visa issuance for tourists which was presented to Parliament recently.

Addressing Parliament today, the CoPF Chairman said these were major accusations, which he categorically denies, and that these were attempts to imprison him by claiming that he had misled Parliament. 

“Please provide me with what I presented. I will analyze them. This isn’t the first occasion on which I have been removed. I am not afraid to be imprisoned,” he added.

MP Harsha de Silva made the remarks in response to a statement made by State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe, who claimed that the CoPF Chairman had presented the report, despite several of the committee members having rejected it. 

State Minister Shehan Semasinghe further said that the actions of the CoPF Chairman had violated the Parliamentary privileges of fellow CoPF members.

He also called on the Speaker to refer the matter to the Parliamentary Committee on Ethics and Privileges, as the CoPF report was misleading and contained inaccurate information. 

Earlier in July, presenting the report to Parliament, MP Harsha de Silva revealed that investigations into the visa issue linked to VFS Global have identified that the prime contractor was not VFS Global as claimed but GBS Technology Services and IVS Global FZCO, but all the companies have signed an agreement to carry out visa issuance. 

MP de Silva further said the CoPF report has found that VFS Global had been picked without calling for official bids and had resulted in the Department of Immigration and Emigration losing out on receiving competitive rates for visa issuance. 

“If competitive bids were called for then the government could have obtained the services for a fee less than US$ 25,” he said. 

Stating that local firm Mobitel had also in the past offered to provide some service for US$1, MP de Silva said however, no specifications had been issued on the criteria for the visa issuance service amidst which VFS Global had been selected. 

At the time, he said the CoPF was of the view that if specification documents had been available then, not only Mobitel but other overseas firms would also have had an opportunity to engage in competitive bidding for the visa issuance service in Sri Lanka. 

The Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) had launched a probe after the visa issuance system by VFS Global and its charges were brought to the limelight by a local passenger who had raised concerns over the process. (Newswire)

Attempts are being made to imprison me, stating that I have committed an act that warrants imprisonment. This is a major accusation. I categorically deny all allegations leveled against me, both collectively and separately. If attempts are being made to imprison me by saying that… pic.twitter.com/7sfRg31ZJm

— Manthri.LK_Watch (@ManthriLK_Watch) July 23, 2024

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Six Indians who had overstayed violating visa conditions have been apprehended from the Aadiambalama area in Katunayake.

The Police said the suspects were arrested based on a tip-off received by the Katunayake Police on a group of suspicious foreign nationals. 

During the raid, along with the six Indian nationals, the Police also found 50 packets of illegally imported cigarettes. 

The suspects are aged 25, 26, 33, 38, 39, and 42 years old. The Katunayake Police is conducting investigations. (Newswire)

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The Australian Government announced on Monday that it had more than doubled the visa fee for international students.

According to Reuters, the latest move by the government is to rein in record migration that has intensified pressure on an already tight housing market.

From July 1, the international student visa fee has risen to A$1,600 ($1,068) from A$710.

Meanwhile, visitor visa holders and students with temporary graduate visas are banned from applying onshore for a student visa.

“The changes coming into force today will help restore integrity to our international education system, and create a migration system which is fairer, smaller and better able to deliver for Australia,” Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil said in a statement.

Official data released in March showed net immigration rose 60% to a record 548,800 people in the year to Sept. 30, 2023.

The rise in fees makes applying for a student visa for Australia far more expensive than in competing countries like the U.S. and Canada, where they cost about $185 and C$150 ($110) respectively.

The government said it was also closing loopholes in visa rules that allowed foreign students to continuously extend their stay in Australia, after the number of students on a second or subsequent student visa spiked by over 30% to more than 150,000 in 2022–23.

The latest move follows a raft of actions since late last year to tighten the student visa rules as the lifting of COVID-19 curbs in 2022 boosted annual migration to record levels.

English language requirements were tightened in March, while the amount of savings international students need to get a visa was raised in May to A$29,710 ($19,823) from A$24,505, the second increase in about seven months. (Newswire / Reuters)

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Opposition MP Dr. Harsha de Silva says he will work to secure democracy to the best of his ability, in response to the remarks surrounding his recent statement concerning the probe into the VFS visa deal.

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP made the statement responding to remarks over his recent statement in Parliament regarding the Committee on Public Finance’s (CoPF) probe into the visa matter. 

Last week, MP de Silva, who is also the Chairman of COPF, claimed that the parliamentary probe into Sri Lanka’s visa issuance process and the VFS Global deal had resulted in threats to his life.

However, the Police said that when the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) contacted the MP to record a statement, he had informed the Police that his statement was made under parliamentary privileges.

Furthermore, while thanking the authorities for their action, de Silva stated that he currently faces no threats to his life, making an investigation unnecessary.

Responding to the various reports on his response to the Police probe, MP de Silva said he would not comment on the statements made by the Police concerning the issue. 

“At this moment I shall not comment on statements made by various people including the Police regarding what I said in @ParliamentLK. I shall continue to do my job to the best of my ability and fight for democracy in #SriLanka,” he said, in a post on ‘X’. (Newswire)

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The Embassy of Thailand in Sri Lanka says the effective date of its new visa measures, which offer exemptions for some countries, including Sri Lanka, will be announced soon.

“At the moment, applicants can still apply for a Thai visa at the Embassy. The normal visa process time is two working days (apply on Monday and get the result on Wednesday),” the Embassy said.

Issuing a notice, the Embassy further said Thailand is preparing new visa measures and the effective date of the new measures will be announced upon the completion of final legal procedures.

The Thailand Embassy has also revealed that as part of its new measures, three types of visas are being offered, which are Destination Thailand Visa (DTV), Visa Exmption (60 days), and Visa on Arrival (VoA). 

Sri Lanka is among the countries granted visa exemptions to visit Thailand, which has been announced for the purpose of tourism and short-term business engagements, for a period not exceeding 60 days. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka’s star cricketer Kusal Mendis has received his visa to travel to the USA to participate in the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup.

The top-order batsman is expected to leave for the USA in the next few days and join the Sri Lankan squad.

The Sri Lankan national team left for the USA last week, but Kusal Mendis was unable to join due to a delay in obtaining his visa.

The visa was reportedly delayed over extra information required by the US Embassy but had been resolved, with the cricketer receiving his visa. 

The national squad has already commenced preparations for the upcoming international cricket tournament. 

The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup begins on June 01, 2024, and will be co-hosted by the USA and the West Indies. (Newswire)

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The British High Commission in Sri Lanka has warned Sri Lankans of a scam by fake agents claiming to provide visa services to the United Kingdom.

Issuing a notice, the British High Commission said fake agents may claim they can speed up the UK visa process or may ask for payment into a personal bank account. 

The High Commission requested those requiring a third-party to help complete their visa applications to ensure they are genuine.

The British High Commission advised Sri Lankans to do their research prior to entrusting visa application processes to third parties. (Newswire)

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Popular Youtuber Will Davis, known as ‘TrekTrendy’, has highlighted a massive data breach by global visa processing service, VFS Global which was involved in the recent controversy related to the visa issuance process at the Katunayake Airport. 

Will Davis, a luxury travel reviewer with nearly 1 million subscribers on YouTube, shared on social media that despite having his visa approved a long time ago, he has been continuously receiving details of other applicants from VFS Global.

“Some of you may remember the Sri Lanka visa saga a few weeks ago. Well whilst mine has long been approved, each day I’ve been getting other tourists visas emailed to me complete with full names, address and passport info. How is this a thing?! I’ve reached out in an attempt to try and make these stop but what a massive data breach,” his statement read. 

VFS Global came under fire for its visa issuance process and charges after a video widely circulated on social media showed an agitated Sri Lankan national claiming that Indian companies who had taken over visa processing at the Bandaranaike International Airport were causing delays and levying extra processing fees. 

Responding to the allegations, the Indian High Commission refuted reports of Indian companies taking over visa issuance at the Katunayake Airport, stating, “Any reference to India in this context is unwarranted.”

Meanwhile, Minister of Public Security Tiran Alles, under whose purview the visa process falls, also acknowledged in Parliament this week that the decision to grant the process to global visa processing service, VFS Global was taken following Cabinet approval and was not processed through Parliament.

The Committee on Public Finance (CoPF) has also summoned the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security and the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration today for an inquiry into the controversial VFS Global visa issuance deal, which has faced criticism from many. (Newswire)

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