Immigration nabs 77 overstaying foreigners in Negombo

Colombo, March 20 (Daily Mirror) - The Department of Immigration and Emigration today took 77 foreigners into custody for violating visa regulations by remaining in the country beyond their permitted stay.

Officials from the Department’s Investigation Division, acting on information received, raided a guesthouse in Negombo and arrested 76 Indonesian nationals and one Chinese national.

According to a senior official, six of the Indonesian nationals were female, and all had reportedly arrived in the country at the beginning of this year.

Among those arrested, 36 had overstayed their Sri Lankan visas, while the rest had misused the conditions of their business and visit visa categories.

On the instructions of Immigration and Emigration Controller General I. Chaminda Pathiraja, Controller (Investigation and Operations) M. G. V. Kariyawasam and his team are conducting inquiries.

The arrested foreigners have been transferred to the Department’s detention centre and are to be removed from the country.