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| French
Embassy denies Schengen visa to Lankan lecturer due to present paper
at international robotics conference in Spain The project was based on almost two years of research by Dr. Nanayakkara, with his academic experience in Japan and the U.S.A. Dr. Nanayakkara, who did his undergraduate studies at Moratuwa University has a master's degree and a Ph.D in robotics and system control from the Saga University, Japan and is a post-doctoral research fellow of the Johns Hopkins University, Washington, USA. There were many problems to overcome, mainly the procuring of spare parts for making the device but by the end of last year despite difficult scientific labour pains, the Moratuwa University Robot for Anti-Landmine Intelligence (MURALI) was "born". However there was more to be done with regard to getting international recognition for MURALI. The path seemed smooth when Dr. Nanayakkara received the invitation to present a paper at the International Conference of Robotics and Automation (ICRA) in Barcelona, Spain from April 18th - 22nd. "It was the dream of my research group who developed the mobile robot MURALI to present the work in the world's largest robotics conference, known as the IEEE," said Dr. Nanayakkara who had received full funding from the National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka to cover his expenses of travel to Barcelona for the conference. But on the brink of his dream being realised, having purchased his ticket, with all documents in place he was to find all their hopes shattered."I went through the French embassy for my visa because the French embassy issues the Schengen visa for France, Spain, and Portugal, whereas, my passport would have to be sent to India if the process was to be done through the Spanish Mission based in Sri Lanka as it does not issue visas," Dr. Nanayakkara explained. After his first visit failed to get him a place in the queue (with the French embassy accepting only 15 applications per day) he had telephoned the embassy, giving a brief introduction of himself as an academic, to obtain some help about an easier process of obtaining a visa. He was told by the telephone operator that he had to come in the queue 'just like anyone else'. Dr. Nanayakkara unravels a story of horror as he detailed how he was later laughed at and ridiculed at the interview."The visa office was very different from the ones I had seen before. Somebody interviewed me while chatting with about four people who seemed to have paid casual visits to the room. They were just chatting, laughing and walking around. I was wondering how a visa officer could concentrate in such an environment. One of them took my passport, browsed through the pages and said something in French to the others that made all of them laugh. Then, one official asked me whether I had really visited US and Japan. It was not a question to be asked because my student visa was on the passport," he says. "It was much later in the interview which had turned out to be a big joke that I was asked the purpose of attending the conference. I answered that it is the International Conference of Robotics and Automation. Then she asked me what I was going to present. I said it was a paper about a mobile robot that can walk in a field of landmines to detect them. People in the room treated me with a sarcastic look, as if they did not believe that Sri Lankans could do such research especially while working in Sri Lanka," he adds. "Despite the utter humiliation I was subject to, I patiently explained the relevance of my work to this conference to the interviewing officer. I was asked to submit a few missing documents such as detailed bank statements for the last three months by 12.30 on the following Monday ( April 11). In the guidelines for visa applicants, it mentions documents to prove assets in Sri Lanka. It is only at the interview that I was told that I was required to submit detailed bank statements for three months. My documents of land deeds were not what the French Embassy meant by assets," Dr. Nanayakkara points out. Having submitted the documents before the deadline, he was finally asked to come to collect his passport on April 13, two days before his scheduled flight to Barcelona. He collected his passport only to find to his shock and dismay that his visa had been rejected. "Amidst all the international recognition of the work we had done, amidst all official documents from the University and the National Science Foundation, amidst all invitation letters that quoted web-sites where my name was displayed among the list of invitees, a visa officer could block the massive opportunity for my country and my career," says an utterly disgusted Dr. Nanayakkara. His desperate queries of why he was not granted the visa had not been answered by the Embassy officials. Dr. Nanayakkara then called the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, University of Moratuwa, Professor Ananda Jayawardena who called the Consulate General to find out what was wrong with the visa application. Professor Jayawardena when contacted by The Sunday Times said that his calls were answered by a Consulate General who refused give any explanations."I told the Consulate General that this conference was of utmost importance to the scientific research programme in the University in particular and the country in general. Dr. Nanayakkara is one of the most committed academics of the university and I was very sad that his hard work and total commitment was going to be destroyed by something as simple as getting a visa. I explained this to the Consulate General who was not interested in listening to me. Neither did he make any sense. He told me that he was 'not saying that he cannot issue the visa, only that he was not in a position to grant the visa", Professor Jayawardena says. Meanwhile one of the highest-ranking officials in the French Embassy who spoke to The Sunday Times on the basis of anonymity said his officers are 'definitely not' capable of racist behaviour as alleged by Dr. Nanayakkara. Asked if the Embassy had initiated an inquiry, he responded with a quick 'of course'. The official spent twenty minutes explaining that Dr. Nanayakkara did not call the Embassy before applying for his visa. When asked why an academic, who was in possession of all the necessary documents (including a much-stamped passport), state sponsorship and details of the international conference he was attending should call before, the official merely stated that a call 'helps'. He went onto explain that the embassy maintains a 'working relationship' with professionals and that it is 'understood' that they call beforehand. Claiming ignorance of phone calls made by the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Professor Ananda Jayawardena to seek the embassy's help following the refusal of the visa, he added that he may have called the 'visa section'. 'No, no it is not the visa section that he should call it is the Cultural section,'said the official. About Sri Lanka's lost chance in the sphere of scientific invention, he chose not to comment. Not
free from mistakes: French Embassy replies Their decision-making process involves at least two officers (three for complicated cases) who take a common decision, the release added. The Embassy has also introduced new visa procedures with the company V.F.S being entrusted with the opening of a visa application centre as a focal point for all information regarding short-stay visas to France, Spain and Portugal. "From the 16th of May 2005, V.F.S, No. 367, R.A.de Mel Mawatha (Duplication Road), Colombo 3 will carry out the distribution and receipt of short stay visa application forms, scheduling of appointments and the returning of passports which would in turn prevent applicants from facing the inconvenience of standing in a queue for a lengthy periods of time.." The release also stated that there exists a system where those in the academic and artistic fields could first obtain an appointment from the Cultural Section and those in business from the Trade Commission of the Embassy. "During this interview all relevant documents are checked if needed, prior to being sent to the visa section. Even if V.F.S will be handling the short stay visa applications in future, a previous appointment with the relevant department of the Embassy is always possible before a professional trip to France." The Embassy said it hoped these clarifications would prevent visa applications from having to face similar experiences. |
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