Sri Lankan immigration authorities have raised alarm over the growing number of foreign nationals entering the country, especially on tourist visas and engaging in unauthorized businesses, particularly operating or working in spas, massage parlours, and suspected brothels, posing a serious concern for law enforcement and immigration control.
In a recent raid, officers from the Investigation Division of the Department of Immigration and Emigration arrested 10 foreign women at a massage parlour in the Kollupitiya area for violating visa conditions on Monday (July 14).
The women, 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 were found to have overstayed their permitted stay.
A senior immigration official said that the raid was conducted after analyzing immigration data, which pointed to suspicious activity involving foreign nationals in several urban locations.
“These individuals were clearly in violation of their visa terms. Some had overstayed, while others were working illegally, mainly in spas and other unauthorized businesses that often operate as brothels,†the official said.
The arrested women are currently being held at the Welisara Detention Centre and will be deported soon.
He said that the Department of Immigration and Emigration are continuing conducting raids to identify the foreigners engaged in unauthorized businesses violating visa conditions.
Accordingly, raids are being carried out in the Western Province as well as areas in the South and North, including Jaffna.
The Department of Immigration and Emigration has warned that those found violating visa regulations, both foreign nationals and those aiding them, will face legal consequences.
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