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Diplomatic row with Britain over visa-free woman
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by sudharaka | August 30, 2009 at 05:56 am
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British High Commission accused of helping a girl to travel to UK sans visa
sourced by sathyajith
Sri Lanka on Friday sought an explanation from Britain on how a local passport holder was helped by a High Commission official in Colombo to travel to London without a valid visa.
British High Commissioner Peter Hayes was summoned to the Foreign Office in Colombo on Friday. Foreign Minister Rohita Bogollagama was to convey the Government’s displeasure over the move on the grounds that it had violated local immigration laws.
An official of the British High Commission in Colombo has accompanied the passenger to the airport.
The Sunday Times has learnt that the official, Lorna Crooks, Immigration Liaison Manager of the UK Border Agency (UKBA), enjoying diplomatic status had helped the passenger. She had written to Sri Lankan Airlines that Ms. Krishnapillai would be accompanied by the High Commission’s Migration Delivery Officer, Malcolm Lewis to the airport. This is to facilitate her boarding the flight without any issues.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (6)
at 08:10 on August 30th, 2009
The point to ponder is whether this has been a habit of the UK Border officials. They can literally smuggle anyone to he UK from anywhere. If the case is so, they could've smuggled even terror suspects out of the country.
Another pertinent question is what the immigration officials were doing, Before taking the matter up with the UK mission, the immigration officials who allowed this mockery happen needs to be dealt with.
at 08:40 on August 30th, 2009
'hey could've smuggled even terror suspects out of the country.'
They did. Matters will come to light soon.
at 09:32 on August 30th, 2009
UK High Commission is acting strangely at the moment. I know a case where the company from Madra that handle Visas had refused them to a Husband and a child of 2 of a working woman on the strange grounds there is insufficient money. This couple had shown their accounts with few thousands of pounds in Rupee equivalent. Incompetency may be the answer in this case, though LTTE billions held in the West can grease many palms when needed for the exit visa of a key character.
at 11:22 on September 2nd, 2009
"UK High Commission is acting strangely at the moment" At the moment? No. It has always been acting strangely. In 2003 my colleague, a boy from outstation working in Colombo, was refused a visa. At the interview he had said that he was boarded in Colombo. The visa officer was not satisfied he would return to Sri Lanka at the expiry of the visa as he was living in a 'boarded apartment'. Thus he was refused! Funny stupid and crafty BHC.
at 08:07 on September 7th, 2009
strange handlings
at 22:13 on September 10th, 2009
Strange handlings indeed. The British HIgh Commission is so strict in granting visas that they literally strip applicants naked even going to the extent of finding out how they happen to have money and what the background is, expecting an applicant to divulge all that is private and personal in order to get a visa. That done too the BHC takes pleasure in refusing a visa quoting some unimportant reason. The BHC should now explain to the public (mostly to the applicants who were refused visas for no real reason) how they issued a visa to 'Kudu Lal' (drug lal) , a notorious drug dealer in the shadow of a comedian minister in Sri Lanka. What application requirements did Lal satisfy? If it is money, then what is the source? If it is education, then what is his level of education? If it is a sponsor, then what is the relationship? Didn't the bhc which is supposed to be looking into every applicant's authenticity look into Kudu Lal's credentials? Didn't the bhc think that he will not return to Sri Lanka at the end of the visa? Didn't the bhc think that he will be a menace to the UK? Wasn't it just recently that a SL student who had squeezed a girl with sexual intentions charged and imprisoned and awaits deportation? Then how did the bhc grant a visa to a known drug dealer, who has absolutely no background, no education, NOTHING. When our own so called stupid ministers export the garbage to protect them, it is no big issue that the bhc put some terrorist on their own plane and sent her to their own country. What's wrong is wrong. How is it good for Kudu Lal and Mervyn Silva? I say it's all b*** s***. Whether it is the bhc or a mp or the president or a policeman they all make undue use of their offices and powers. All the rules and regulations are only for the normal people.