Sri Lanka Airport Chaos Explained - What Really Happened?

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Katunayake International Airport found itself at the center of attention after an incident that unfolded last night.

Social media platforms buzzed with discussions, prompting News First to delve into the matter.

A Sri Lankan traveler, was caught on video expressing his dismay at the On-Arrival Visa Counter officers at the Bandaranaike International Airport, after the official refused grant VISA to his partner. In the video, he is heard saying that Indian nationals were operating the VISA counter, and questioned why Sri Lankan officials were not engaged in that process.

What Led To This Incident?

In the process of obtaining a visa for foreign travelers coming to Sri Lanka, two methods have traditionally been employed: online issuance and on-arrival issuance, as stipulated by the Immigrants and Emigrants Act of Sri Lanka.

Sicen 2012, this process operated efficiently and without major issues under the purview of the Department of Immigration and Emigration up until March of this year.

During this period, the department charged approximately $20 for visa fees for South Asian countries and $50 for other countries.

However, a significant development occurred last year when the Cabinet of Ministers made a decision to enter into an agreement to outsource the visa issuance process to a third party.

Enter VFS Global, a foreign company now responsible for handling visa issuance on behalf of Sri Lanka.

Since April 16, VFS Global has been actively involved in visa issuance activities.

Prior to this, visa applications were temporarily suspended on the immigration website, with all related activities redirected to VFS Global's separate platform.

The recent changes have impacted the cost structure as well. The online visa fee, previously set at $52, has now been increased to $75.

Additionally, a Convenience Fee of $18.05 and a facility fee of $7.27 have been introduced.

Consequently, the total visa fee now stands at $100.77.

Last night, a notable incident unfolded at the visa issuing point.

It was triggered by the rejection of a visa application by an individual who subsequently engaged in an intense conversation. The situation escalated, leading to heightened tension.

In response to this heated scenario, VFS Global decided to withdraw from visa issuance activities.

As a result, immigration officials have reverted to issuing visas at the previous rates.

What is the response of the Ministry of Public Security?

News 1st reached out to Viyani Gunathilaka, the Secretary of the Ministry of Public Security, to seek clarification regarding the recent incident.

According to Gunathilaka, a technical glitch caused the temporary suspension of the on-arrival visa issuance process for foreigners last night.

However, he assured that the situation has been rectified, and visas are now being issued using the previous method.

What is the response given by the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka?

The High Commission of Indian in Sri Lanka issued a statement over the matter.

It added that the companies referred to in these report are India based or Indian, and are headquartered elsewhere.

It added that any reference to India in this context is unwarranted.