Foreign firms to continue visa services at Colombo airport

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s immigration authorities on Sunday said the foreign companies facilitating visa services for travellers at the Bandaranaike International Airport here will maintain their operations.

The clarification came after the airport witnessed protests by tourists against the foreign companies for their poor visa service on Wednesday. The immigration department took control of the visa-on-arrival counters as the private staff manning the counters had left following the protests.

The services of the foreign companies GBS Technology Services and IVS Global FZCO in partnership with VFS VF Worldwide Holdings Ltd would be continued at the airport, senior immigration department officials said. The delays at the visa-on-arrival counters were a technical fault, which would be rectified by next week and the foreign companies would resume their operations after that, they said.

It was earlier alleged that the companies concerned were Indian. The Indian High Commission in Colombo has clarified that the companies were not Indian firms. The High Commission of India said, “We have seen reports and comments including in social media regarding Indian companies taking over visa issuance at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), Colombo. The companies referred to in these reports are not India-based. Any reference to India in this context is unwarranted.”

Senior immigration officials say the delays at the visa-on-arrival counters were a technical fault, which would be rectified by next week