Financial Times

Immigration cracks down on illegal foreign workers

Sri Lanka’s Immigration and Emigration Controller has stepped up a new campaign to arrest and deport foreign nationals working here without a work permit or proper papers while at the same time warning employers who hire such people.

“We are cracking down on foreigners without work permits. Action will be taken under the law against Sri Lankans who hire these people,” a spokesman for the department told The Sunday Times FT.

Recently three Indians were arrested by immigration officials in the crackdown, following the arrest and detention the week before of 14 Indian nationals working illegally in restaurants and jewellery shops in Colombo.

Coming on the back of last month’s warning by the Controller of Immigration and Emigration to Sri Lankans to stop hiring foreigners without proper papers or work permits, the detainees are now at the Mirihana Detention Centre awaiting deportation.

Last month the Department said in a newspaper advertisement that action would be taken under current laws against those who employ foreigners without a permit, and urged the public to alert the authorities if they came across such cases. In the recent case the Sri Lankan employers were informed of the laws – as a first step.

Officials said there are at least 5,000 to 6,000 foreign illegal workers, many working as prostitutes.

The recent raids were conducted under the direction of the Controller and Assistant Controller (Investigations) and officials, including S. M. Amirdeen, P. P. Aluthge, P. M. Senaratne, M. V. Kariyawasam, S. G. Rohana and W. T. Wickremasinghe.

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