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Foreign tourists visit an ancient rock fortress in Sigiriya, Sri Lanka, last month. Photo: AFP
AsiaSouth Asia

Outrage at ‘whites only’ party spurs Sri Lanka to scrap long-term visas for Russians, Ukrainians

  • The Russian-run Sarayka lounge, situated in the popular resort town of Unawatuna, had planned to host a ‘White Party’ last month
  • But a poster about the event that was widely circulated on social media caused outrage as it included a line saying ‘Face Control: White’
Sri Lanka
Business Insider
Business Insider
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Sri Lanka has scrapped free long-term visa extensions for Russians and Ukrainians who headed to the country in the last two years.

It follows outrage over a “whites only” event advertised at a Russian-run nightclub on the Indian Ocean island.

The Sarayka lounge, situated in the popular resort town of Unawatuna in the south of the country, had planned to host a “White Party” last month.

An image that was widely circulated on social media showing a poster about the event in Sri Lanka, which included the line “Face Control: White”. Photo: X/ngfsrilanka

But a poster about the event that was widely circulated on social media caused outrage as it included a line saying “Face Control: White”, which many people took to mean that non-white people would be refused entry.

Shortly after the party was cancelled, the Sri Lankan Tourism Development Authority announced that it would be scrapping free long-term visa extensions for Russian and Ukrainian tourists as of February 23, although a 14-day grace period will allow those without new visas to stay until March 7.

Public Security Minister Tiran Alles told Reuters that any affected people wishing to remain in Sri Lanka would have to pay around US$50 for a 30-day visa.

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“Whoever wants to stay back can apply for new visas,” Alles said. “They can immediately renew their visas and remain here.”

In a statement issued in response to the nightclub incident, the Russian Embassy in Colombo said: “Russia strongly condemns all forms of racial discrimination and nationalism” and called on its citizens to follow local laws and customs.

Following the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russians have flocked to Sri Lanka, and around 300 to 400 are thought to have remained there since, said Priantha Fernando, the chairman of the island’s tourism body.

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According to official statistics, almost 200,000 Russians and around 5,000 Ukrainians visited the island last year.

That has come as a welcome boost to Sri Lanka’s economy, which has struggled in recent years, with the country declaring bankruptcy in 2022 as it faced mounting foreign debt.

But its economy has shown some signs of revival more recently, growing by 1.6 per cent from July to September, Reuters reported.

This article was first published by Business Insider
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