• Fraser’s writ petition before Appeal court today Overseas Lankan youth group slams mistreatment

BY Buwanajee Coralage   The Department of Immigration and Emigration claims that the Scottish national and activist Kayleigh Fraser, who took part in the “aragalaya” protests recently, had engaged in business purposes in addition to several other visa violations. The writ petition filed by Scottish national and activist Kayleigh Fraser following the decision taken by the Department of Immigration and Emigration to deport her over alleged visa violations, is to be taken up for hearing in the Court of Appeal today (16). “On 10 August, the Department decided to terminate the visa issued to Fraser and informed her to depart from the island before today,” said the Media Spokesperson of the Department Piyumi Bandara, speaking to The Morning yesterday (15). “The Department decided on terminating her visa on 10 August after thorough investigations on the matter on grounds that she was engaged in purposes other than medical purposes for which her visa was issued. The investigations revealed that she was engaged in business purposes on top of several other visa violations.” Fraser filed a writ petition against the decision taken by the Department at the Court of Appeal on 12 August, and that case is due to be heard before the Court of Appeal today before Justices Sobhitha Rajakaruna and Dhammika Ganepola. The petitioner has requested the court to issue an order preventing her deportation to her country and, revoking the cancellation of her visa period, and has claimed through the petition that she actively took part in the anti-Government protests at the Galle Face protest site. The Controller General of Immigration and Emigration, the Attorney General, and others have been named as the respondents in the petition. With regard to this matter, the Sri Lankan Youth Overseas Federation (SLYOF) has raised concerns over the “mistreatment of the Scottish national by the Sri Lankan authorities”. Releasing a media statement, the SLYOF urged the Sri Lankan Government to uphold the democratic rule of law while condemning the intimidation tactics used by the Department officials in confiscating her passport.