Sri Lanka travel advice: is it safe to travel amid political unrest?

The nation has suspended funds on its overseas loans and its 22 million persons are going through shortages of food, gasoline and different necessities.

So what has occurred within the nation, and is it protected for UK guests to travel there? That is what it’s worthwhile to know.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has now resigned after weeks of widespread protests and a no-confidence movement in Parliament.

Mr Rajapaksa stood down after being blamed alongside his brother President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for main the nation to its worst financial disaster in many years.

Protesters swarmed the doorway to the President’s workplace within the capital, Colombo, for a thirty second day to demand he comply with in his sibling’s footsteps.

The positioning outdoors Mr Rajapaksa’s workplace has seen sustained crowds of 1000’s for greater than a month, though numbers dropped on Tuesday (10 Might) to some hundred as a consequence of a strict curfew which has been imposed till Wednesday.

Armed troops have been deployed after violence erupted on Monday night time (9 Might), which noticed greater than a dozen homes belonging to ruling celebration leaders vandalised and set on hearth, and not less than 4 individuals, together with a ruling celebration politician, have been killed and almost 200 have been harm.

Imports of every part from milk to gasoline have plunged, spawning dire meals shortages and rolling energy cuts, and folks have been pressured to queue for hours to purchase necessities. Medical doctors have additionally warned of crippling shortages of life-saving medicine in hospitals, and the federal government has suspended funds on £5.6 billion in overseas debt due this yr alone.

Different international components have additionally contributed to the disaster, together with the affect of the pandemic on the nation’s tourism trade and the Russia-Ukraine war pushing up global oil prices, and each the President and Prime Minister have since admitted to errors that exacerbated the disaster, together with conceding they need to have sought an Worldwide Financial Fund (IMF) bail-out sooner.

The President reached out to the IMF in March after residents had been enduring important shortages of gasoline, cooking fuel and medication for months already, and talks to arrange a rescue plan are being held, with progress depending on negotiations on debt restructuring with collectors. Nonetheless, any long-term plan would take not less than six months to get underway.

The UK Overseas Workplace is just not at the moment advising towards journey to Sri Lanka however warns an island-wide curfew is at the moment in impact and several other violent incidents befell on Monday, together with within the Galle Face space the place authorities used tear fuel and water cannons.

Incidents additionally occurred in Independence Sq., the Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre in Colombo, close to Beira Lake in Colombo and in Kandy.

The deteriorating financial scenario within the nation is inflicting shortages of fundamental requirements, together with medicines, gasoline and meals.

As such, there could also be lengthy queues at grocery shops, petrol stations and pharmacies, and native authorities might impose rationing of electrical energy, leading to energy outages.

Protests have been ongoing since 31 March 2022 and a state of emergency was declared on 6 Might.

There are experiences that additional protests are more likely to happen throughout the island and the federal government might impose native restrictions at quick discover. Strikes may happen with little discover, which might trigger disruption to providers reminiscent of transport operations.

Travellers are suggested to keep away from all protests, demonstrations or massive gatherings, and to comply with the recommendation of the native authorities. Additionally it is suggested that you simply carry your passport as official identification with you always.

Attributable to a prevalence of Covid cases in the neighborhood, adjustments may very well be made to flights and airport operations at quick discover, and lockdowns or journey restrictions could also be imposed in affected areas.

Laws are in place to implement social distancing and the sporting of a face masks in public areas. Anybody who doesn’t adhere to the restrictions and native pointers might danger arrest.

Most lodges and guesthouses are actually open to overseas nationals, though there have been experiences of late-notice room reserving cancellations, so travellers are suggested to examine prematurely with journey brokers or lodging suppliers. Social distancing and different public well being measures, reminiscent of temperature checks, could also be in place and a few lodges might require proof of a destructive PCR take a look at on arrival.

Absolutely vaccinated travellers aren’t required to take a pre-departure Covid take a look at earlier than arrival. Your remaining vaccine dose will need to have been administered not less than 14 days previous to journey and Sri Lanka will solely settle for the UK’s printed model of proof of COVID-19 recovery and vaccination record. They won’t settle for digital proof

Travellers aged 12 and over which might be unvaccinated travellers should present proof of both a destructive PCR take a look at, taken not more than 72 hours earlier than journey, or a destructive Speedy Antigen Take a look at report, taken inside 48 hours earlier than journey. Self-swab exams won’t be recognised.

Unvaccinated kids aged 11 years and beneath of totally vaccinated mother and father who’re vacationers or overseas nationals, are allowed to journey with totally vaccinated mother and father. Kids between the age of 1 and 18 who’ve had not less than one dose of a recognised vaccine (not less than two weeks earlier than journey) can be thought of ‘totally vaccinated’.

Unvaccinated kids between the age of 12 and 18 might want to present proof of both a destructive PCR take a look at, taken not more than 72 hours earlier than journey, or a destructive Speedy Antigen Take a look at report, taken inside 48 hours earlier than journey.