21 Indians Arrested in Sri Lanka: Allegations of Tourist Visa Misuse, Worked in Online Marketing Center
21 Indian citizens have been arrested in Sri Lanka over alleged misuse of tourist visas. According to reports, all the arrested Indians were working in online marketing centers in Sri Lanka. This constitutes a violation of the terms of their tourist visas.
Benefit from Simplified Visa Rules
According to media reports in Sri Lanka, the government has recently simplified the rules for tourist visas. It is alleged that the arrested Indians had traveled to Sri Lanka on tourist visas and were working in an online marketing center there. The ages of the arrested Indians range between 24 and 25 years old. According to the newspaper “Daily Mirror,” the Immigration Department stated that all 21 Indians were arrested on Tuesday. Some of them were arrested from a house in the Negombo city, where an online marketing center was being operated. Some equipment was also seized from there.
What are the Rules?
It has been clarified in Sri Lanka’s visa regulations that people arriving on tourist visas cannot engage in any kind of employment. The Sri Lankan government has granted relief in visa regulations to people from several countries until March 31st. The purpose is to boost the tourism sector.
According to the report, all the arrested Indians arrived in Sri Lanka in February and March.
Previous Arrests
On February 14, 2018, 23 Indians were arrested in Sri Lanka in a similar incident. They had all arrived on tourist visas. According to the Immigration Department, among the arrested individuals, 9 were engaged in work related to astrology. Others were involved in the garment industry. Subsequently, in 2020, 7 Indians were arrested for engaging in construction work.
