21 Indian nationals have been apprehended in Sri Lanka for engaging in unauthorized employment while holding tourist visas.
Sri Lankan authorities have apprehended 21 Indian citizens for unlawfully operating a computer-based business while they were on tourist visas. The individuals, aged between 24 and 25, were discovered in Negombo, where they were running the business from a rented residence. They have been transferred to a detention center and are awaiting deportation pending the conclusion of investigations.
The Sri Lankan authorities have detained 21 Indian nationals for engaging in an unauthorized computer-operated business in the country, breaching the terms of their tourist visas, according to officials on Wednesday. The individuals, aged between 24 and 25, who were visiting Sri Lanka on tourist visas, were detained by the Department of Immigration and Emigration on Tuesday, as stated by a senior immigration officer speaking on the condition of anonymity.
Following an initial investigation, authorities raided a rented property in Negombo, a popular resort town on the western coast, where the detainees were found operating the business. "They had leased a property and were involved in a computer-operated business," the official remarked, noting that the exact nature of their business is yet to be determined. "We have issued deportation notices and relocated them to the Welisara detention center. They will be deported once the investigations are concluded," the official further stated.
According to Sri Lankan law, individuals visiting the country on tourist visas are prohibited from participating in any form of paid or unpaid employment.
The Indian nationals had taken advantage of the free visa provision offered by Sri Lanka to certain countries until March 31, as part of an ongoing pilot project to boost tourism in the financially strained country, reported the Daily Mirror newspaper.
They had arrived in Sri Lanka in February and March on tourist visas, the report indicated.
Immigration authorities have received numerous complaints about Russian and Ukrainian tourists engaging in business activities in the country while on tourist visas.
India typically represents Sri Lanka's largest source of inbound tourism. In February, with over 30,000 arrivals, India ranked second in terms of arrivals, behind only the Russian Federation, which had over 32,000 arrivals.
Sri Lanka currently offers a visa-free regime for tourists from India, China, Indonesia, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan.