The thing with giving the finger to the west is that they can give the finger back. The Sri Lankan government has had a lot of fun denying visas to western muckety-mucks and calling them terrorists, but now their own sons are having trouble getting their visas approved. For all the dross about western conspiracies and their tacit support for the LTTE, Sri Lankans of all stripes still do most of their travel to western countries. We still educate our kids there. Gotabaya Rajapakse and Sarath Fonseka are US citizens and permanent residents, respectively. Mahinda Samarasinghe is married to a Swiss woman, Palitha Kohona (the Foreign Secretary) is an Australian citizen. Goes on and on.
For all the points our politicians try to score against the west, they still have one foot over there. The flip-side of asserting ‘sovereignty’ and rejecting visas for them is that they reject visas for us. This applies for average Sri Lankans and especially for members of the government.
Anecdotally, people say that UK visas are more trouble now and more trouble to get. I also hear of various ministers sons who can no longer study abroad cause their visas are getting booted. I feel bad in the sense that I think Sri Lankans (fortunate sons included) should be able to travel, but I don’t see how this is a surprise. The Sri Lankan government has rejected visas for Swedish, Canadian and British officials, journalists, etc. They publicly talk about international conspiracies and describe westerners as terrorists and terrorist supporters.
Personally, I don’t think this is even good for local politics as most ‘locals’ are pretty nice to western guests, but it is what it is. At some point the government has to realize that if it says ‘fuck off’ to the west the west can just say ‘fuck off’ right back. This is something the politicians will feel because they enjoy the luxury of western travel and education, but average people feel it as well. Personally, I don’t think this is a pissing contest worth having and I wish everyone would chill out. However, it is interesting that the politicians are feeling the effects of their policies for once. If they want to demagogue against the west that’s fine, but they may have to send their kids to school in China.
Listen this talk….http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-tFsIWyVTc
Looks like these guys missing international experience …I call this western alienation.
Taking it over kids and family? That not sound like Downing Street, that is little Italy. Whats next? A cow head on the bed?
People from pariah states should be treated like pariahs.
Indi, interestingly enough the ceiling on tuition fees in the UK will be removed from 2011. Following the US example where international students who can pay for their education actually is a thriving business amongst college’ s in the US, UK too is gearing up for this. Especially to cater to the rich kids.
Universities in UK already have agents working for them in Sri Lanka. I worked closely with UKCOSA, UKCISA and NUS in London not too long ago. So whatever problems the two governments may have with each other, denying international students from SL a visa to study in the UK will not happen.
Rest assured.
It’s a huge revenue generator Mate, huge.
I would love it if they do scrutinise applications more closely though. You won’t believe the number of times my advice and intervention has been sought for freshman from Sri Lanka who suddenly have personal reasons to return home for deaths in the family and need their tuition reimbursed urgently. They call it extenuating circumstances here. All these students say that they are unable to obtain death certificates due to the situation in SL. So their tuition is reimbursed, but there is no system where the University ensures that these students leave the UK. Most come for one year diploma’s.
This has actually many a time caused much embarrassment and moral dilemma’s for me. When asked to seek help from the SLHC the students then say that the SLHC do not recognize them as SL citizens.
But Mate, anyone who actually can give proof of financial independence is a shoo in for a visa to UK. Some I know meet the financial requirement but not the academic pre-qualification but still do get the UK visa. The one’s who’s pix we see on FB partying in the best clubs in London.
Sorry about long comment, could go on for ever. Mate I respect your point of view, recently however you seem to be making many generalisations in your posts! In your defense I must add however that the only thing that prevents me and many others in UK from getting dual citizenship is that even with a UK passport, if you also carry SL passport, wherever you may go, you need to still get a visa due to the SL passport. Freaky!
Indi ur just worried that they’ll cancel visa’s for half Canadians (or w/e u are)
I’m sure the “average” Sri Lankan doesn’t give a damn about Visa’s in to UK/USA..lol..
The Sri Lankan students will not be denied entry in Australia either.
The Universities and TAFEs there ADORE Sri Lankan students and perceive them as far less trouble makers than the Indian bunch. I guess they can go to Australia any day.
ahem, which Sri Lanka do you live in ?
Of course they do.
They value their foreign visa very much. Look at the bunch that go to Italy each year !! They are fairly average. So are the students. Did you know LOTS of banks now give loans for students to study out of the country ? Parents can take the loan on their behalf and th interest rates are fairly manageable. Gone are the days when only privileged class sent their kids to foreign universities. It is now fairly mainstream in the middle class families. Try to get flights to Australia in February or in July from Sri Lanka and you will see the reality.
as mentioned, I’m just going by anecdotal evidence. I know a few people who got their visas booted. I heard of one minister’s son who was accepted to school and financially able but still couldn’t get his visa. The Foreign Secretary also had issues. And a member of Chamal Rajapakse’s entourage got booted from Japan.
@Anne
A friend of a mine had a hell of a time going to Australia, they wanted proof of income, deeds, everything. It was very difficult and they almost gave up.
I think it’s also understanding the system and loopholes available. Our domestic who has been with us for over a decade came here three years ago. She then pushed us to get a visa for her husband too. Which we foolishly did. Six months after the husbands arrival, this March she decided to go it alone. We informed her that we have no choice but inform the Home Office to which she was quite cool about.
Now her husband and her both have extended their visa’s, have national insurance numbers allowing them to work in the UK.
To top it all their youngest son arrived in UK end-August to study for an one year diploma. He got his student visa from SL easily! We were gob-smacked!
None of us are very happy about the way she broke all her connections and loyalty to us, especially since she looked after our kid from childhood. Secretly though, I am quite chuffed and proud of her… :)
I for one am pleased that there are these loop holes for youth to get out who would otherwise not qualify. SL is lovely for the most intellegent as that gives free education up untill the time that you graduate from uni. But that number is fairly limited. These youth who are neither intelligent nor have proper family connections nor wealth rot in SL due to lack of alternatives. They can become either a lottery seller , trishaw driver or a housemaid. It is that lot that need the loop holes to get out and see a bit of another culture. It is true that they end up working as cleaners or kitch hands and may even be exploited as cheap labour but they become hugely street smart and accumulate whatever little wealth that they can so that they need not traffic drugs or illicit liquor in SL. They learn good work ethics and become very productive. More than anything else they have a way better sense of appreciation for SL. So loop holes are good as long as SL govt does nothing about the middle layer of millions that have no alternative.
DD, what did you expect ?that she will spend the rest of her life with your family while she misses hers ? Good for you man. You have done your good deed and helped another family establish themselves. That is super good karma. By the way you have also seriously upped your game on the blog. The look and content have improved at least ten fold.
@ indi.
5kgs of paper. That is the submission limit. If thy frinds does not have the 5 kgs he does not have enough documentation. They JUST need that level of documnetation :)
If you mean going to Australia Indi they’re being a bit more stricter since alot of Sri Lankans are migrating to aussie. Even if you want to go there on holiday and you have family there they give you a second look. I think the aussie embassy watched “Matchang” :P
Er. I know so many people who have been rejected educational visa’s on rubbish grounds. Alot of people have been rejected. The weird thing is that UK universities have a large income from international students. And alot of Sri Lankans go to England for education e.g my dad. But still they are not letting us in.
They’re punishing us for what the government did. And thats just wrong.
“prevents me and many others in UK from getting dual citizenship is that even with a UK passport, if you also carry SL passport, wherever you may go, you need to still get a visa due to the SL passport.” – eh? Wouldn’t you just need the Sri Lankan cert of dual citizenship to be able to have the ‘benefits’of Sri Lankan citizenship while travelling on your foreign passport? You can’t really travel on two passports can you?
Australia doesn’t make its visa (or any foreign policy) decisions based on human rights. It’s purely out of worrying about overstayers/refugees.
@anne i do think what he said was true.
i would say about 5%-10% of Sri Lanakans would worry but others wont.
what ayshya told was correct.
all professionals who applied do get visa i mean PR.
@Anne I dont think that all who fails to get free education will be a lottery seller , trishaw driver or a housemaid if they dont have money.
I got selected to Uni and by the time I completed. I had friends who didn’t get the change to get in to uni and was not that rich ended up in good positions (they were doing great).
The new batch for UK arrived Aug/Sep for the new freshers year from Sri Lanka. Numbers haven’t changed for the last three years. This year was a bit more!
Paperwork – I went to uni in US in 1986. I had too had to submit a large amount of paper work that included house deeds, land deeds and bank statement for six months. My sis did it in 1979 and so did she. It’s always been the same.
And despite been married to a UK national and been to UK many times before, the paperwork I had to submit for UK residency in 2005 was unbelievable. Last year I got my citizenship and even while living here legally, I still had to submit loads of paperwork.
Sometimes it’s just better to pay someone and seek entry.
The best way of course is an agent as they know all the loopholes and the system. And it’s in their best interest.
The UK border agency and Home Office have cottoned on to all the illegal colleges in UK, BUT it’s a big business and as long as you have a visa and your are enrolled full time in a University or College they go by the book and let you in.
Go see an agent in Colombo. Heaps of them. Maybe the politicians children, if any were refused should have gone through an agent. Dude this country is going through a recession, international students bring in much need income to the Colleges, the area and finally national economy. No way will they refuse visa’s to those who are eligible.
Thanks.
The most talented and intelligent men and women have been leaving Sri Lanka for years. Maybe the SL govt should establish policies which nurture and retain these people to work and REBUILD Sri Lanka, open up new enterprises and improve infrastructure.
Sri Lankans are hard working and persisent. Maybe it’s a good thing that Immigration laws of Australia and other countries are becoming more stringent.
Yeah the buggers hop a boat, visas needed, eh?