Prez countermands Immig. & Emig. Controller’s directive to Russian and Ukrainian tourists

President Ranil Wickremesinghe had ordered an investigation into a notification issued to Russian and Ukrainian tourists, without prior Cabinet approval, that they had to leave the country within 14 days, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said on Sunday (25).

The PMD said the Sri Lankan government had not officially decided to revoke the visa extensions previously granted to those tourists.

The media reported, on Sunday, quoting from a letter issued by Immigration and Emigration Controller Harsha Illukpitiya, that the Russian and Ukrainian tourists had been given 14 days from 2024/02/23 to 2024/03/07 to leave Sri Lanka.

After the war broke out between Russia and Ukraine on 28 Feb., 2022, Sri Lanka allowed tourists from both countries to remain here on free visa extensions. (RK)