Colombo: The Sri Lankan government has ordered the deportation of all foreigners who are currently in the island nation without visas and those who over-staying their visas, the state media reported on Friday.
Internal and Home Affairs Minister Vajira Abeywardana instructed the Controller of Emigration and Immigration on Thursday, to take immediate steps to begin the deportation process, the Daily Mirror reported.
This development comes following Abeywardana’s dialogues with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Muslim Religious Affairs Minister M.H.A.Haleem on Wednesday.
During the discussion, they agreed that a national policy has to be created over how to tackle the issue of foreign Muslim preachers who visit Sri Lanka to conduct their religious classes, give speeches and radicalise youth to perform acts of violence on other religions.
Two Nigerians, one Bangladeshi and Pakistani nationals were detained in Grandpass and the Awissawella areas in Colombo. Officials pointed out there were around 400 more foreigners in the nation who violates visa rules. Numerous numbers of detentions were made during raids carried out in Bentara and Aluthgama region of the country.
The Department of Immigration and Emigration is slated to conduct raids to apprehend those living in the country without having a valid visa and soon deport them back.
Around 108 Indian nationals have been detained by Sri Lankan authority on Tuesday for visa violations since the country’s armed personnel began countrywide raids, the department of immigration and emigration said on Wednesday.
The authority began carrying out countrywide across the nation following President Maithripala Sirisena assured to reconstruct the country’s security structure.
Also read: Sri Lankan authority detains 108 Indian nationals for visa violation during countrywide raid