Illegal migration to greener pastures continue; Lankans with fake Polish visas nabbed

By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana

Unsuccessful attempts by Sri Lankan citizens to migrate to ‘greener pastures’ through unlawful means are continuing, even with strict law enforcement measures in place, as authorities nabbed two more locals with forged Polish visas on Thursday.

The Department of Immigration and Emigration personnel deployed at the Departure Terminal of the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake took two local males into custody when they tried to leave the country on fake travel documents.

Staff at the Qatar Airways checking counters referred the two persons to the immigration officials as the visas pasted on their Sri Lankan passports seemed suspicious.

The immigration officials referred the two passengers to their Border Surveillance Unit (BSU) equipped with special machinery to check any forged passport or visa document, and found out that their Polish visas were fakes.

A senior immigration official told the Daily Mirror that,  according to the preliminary investigations, the suspects had paid an advance of Rs.100,000 to an agent to get their fake visas done.

The suspects had been identified as 31 and 38-year-old residents of Demodara and Beligala areas.

The immigration officials in this year alone have arrested more than 30 locals trying to leave the country for high-living standard countries in the west like Europe, the UK, Canada, Italy and Poland with forged travel documents.

The highest number of Sri Lankans trying to migrate to Canada with fake visas was busted in March when the immigration officials arrested nine locals.

The two passengers who were bound for Poland via Doha had been handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Unit at the BIA for legal proceedings.