Sri Lankan immigration authorities have warned of a significant increase in the number of foreign nationals entering the country on tourist visas and engaging in illegal activities at massage parlors, brothels, and spas in recent times.
As an example, authorities pointed to the arrest of ten foreign women by officers of the Investigation Division of the Department of Immigration and Emigration on Monday (July 14) for violating visa conditions at a massage parlor in the Kollupitiya area. The women arrested, aged between 25 and 39, include six Thai nationals, three Vietnamese nationals, and one Chinese national. They had entered Sri Lanka on tourist visas, and four of them were found to have overstayed their permitted stay.
A senior immigration official said the raids were carried out after analyzing immigration data on suspicious activities involving foreign nationals in several urban areas.
“These individuals have clearly violated the conditions of their visas. Some have overstayed, while others have engaged in illegal occupations. They have been working mainly in spas and brothels, which are not permitted under the country’s laws,” an official told the Daily Mirror.
The arrested women are currently being held at the Welisara Detention Center and will be deported soon, the Department of Immigration and Emigration said.
The Department further stated that it continues to conduct raids to identify foreigners engaged in unauthorized businesses that violate visa conditions. Accordingly, operations are being carried out in the Western Province, as well as in the North and South, including Jaffna.
The Department of Immigration and Emigration warns that foreign nationals who violate visa regulations, as well as those who assist them, will face serious legal consequences.
