By Immigration and Emigration Notifies Overstaying Russian and Ukrainian Tourists to Leave Sri Lanka
The Department of Immigration and Emigration has notified Russian and Ukrainian tourists residing long-term in Sri Lanka to leave the country within 14 days. Some of these tourists are applying for further extensions, which will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Immigration and Emigration Controller Harsha Illukpitiya communicated the decision to the Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, who will convey it to the affected tourists.
Visa extensions were offered to Russians and Ukrainians after the war broke out between their countries. However, concerns exist that some of these tourists may be seeking political asylum in Sri Lanka.
Controller Illukpitiya clarifies that Ukrainians and Russians who were in Sri Lanka at the war’s outbreak were allowed to remain for two years without charge. This included free visa extensions and waived penalties for expired tourist visas.
Despite the lack of direct flights from Russia or Ukraine to Sri Lanka currently, some tourists claim their livelihoods and homes have been destroyed. Additionally, some argue that since they have been in Sri Lanka for an extended period and the situation back home has not improved, they deserve further extensions or asylum consideration.
However, Controller Illukpitiya has stated that no further extensions are possible.
Trend of Business on Tourist Visas Observed:A trend of conducting business while on a tourist visa has been observed. Many Russians and Ukrainians have been operating various types of businesses, sometimes in collaboration with locals.
In most cases, global remittance facilities have been used to carry out these transactions. Credit cards and PayPal have been the preferred financial transaction methods, and such transactions may help to evade taxes. Others collect their payments directly in other countries outside Sri Lanka.
