Russians and Ukrainians have traveled to Asia to escape the actions of the Russian administration, because it has been easy to obtain a long-term visa to Asian countries.
The Sri Lankan immigration authority has informed the hundreds of thousands of Russians in the country that they must leave the island by March 8.
Several Ukrainians have also been ordered to leave the country.
There has been news about it, for example Independent.
Many Russian war opponents and opposition representatives have fled to Asian countries due to persecution by the Russian regime.
At least 288,000 Russians and almost 20,000 Ukrainians have traveled to Sri Lanka since Russia launched the attack in 2022.
Questionable business
Minister of Tourism Harin Fernando told Sri Lanka’s Daily Mirror that the ministry has received complaints from locals about Russian tourists doing gray business in the southern part of the country.
Russians have been reported to be running unregistered nightclubs, bars and restaurants in Sri Lanka. In addition, the Russians have reportedly founded companies offering water sports and car rental services.
The Finnish Immigration Service is currently conducting raids to find out the extent of the phenomenon.
BBC also told about the whites-only parties of the Russians in the country on Wednesday. The party was canceled and the organizer apologized for the racist event.
Sri Lanka had enough
Sri Lanka’s Chief Immigration Commissioner announced on February 23 that citizens of Russia and Ukraine will no longer be able to apply for an extension of their tourist visas.
According to the Daily Mirror, the announcement by the Finnish Immigration Service does not correspond to the government’s position.
So far, the Sri Lankan government has not officially decided on visa restrictions for Russians.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe ordered an investigation into the matter. The Daily Mirror newspaper writes that apparently the president’s purpose is to prevent the escalation of tensions with Russia.
Despite the Russian invasion, Asian countries have treated the Russians kindly
Unlike many European countries, several Asian countries have not denied visas to Russians.
On the contrary, the access of Russians to Asian countries has even been made easier after 2022.
For example, in Sri Lanka, Russians and Ukrainians have been able to extend their 30-day tourist visa with notification.
The background has been Sri Lanka’s effort to accelerate the recovery of tourism after the corona years.