Sri Lanka cuts off visas on arrival to stop flow of Muslims from Rakhine

Sri Lanka has suspended issuing visas on arrival for Myanmar travellers to stop "Bengali" people from Rakhine State entering the country.

Currently, they stopped issuing visas on arrival to prevent the entry of Muslims from Rakhine State who identify themselves as Rohingyas. The Myanmar government denies the term and refers to them as "Bengalis", illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

“We are still allowed to issue (visas on arrival) to diplomats, monks and nuns, but for tourists we have stopped giving arrival visas,” she said.

They stopped issuing visas on arrival to Myanmar people after people protested in front of the embassy of Myanmar in Sri Lanka. She said that “we don’t know how long does it take to issue visa on arrival because we are worried  Bengali people from Rakhine will enter the country."