| Sri Lankans seeking visas to visit Britain are reacting with mounting anger and frustration at the inordinate delays at the British High Commission resulting in plans abandoned and missed opportunities.
Many Sri Lankans who have faced these delays wonder whether the shift to the British mission in Chennai where applications are now processed was a cost-cutting measure as stated or a ruse to delay visas to applicants from here for reasons best known to the British.
An ongoing case typifies the hassle that Sri Lankans with genuine reasons to visit Britain and who are contributing to the British education system paying exorbitant fees at universities for their children are confronted with today.
A Sri Lankan girl studying medicine at the University of Southampton had a medical problem with a “prolapse disc” and returned to Colombo for surgery.
During her post surgery convalescence here she naturally missed classes and clinicals she was expected to follow.
She went back to Southampton and then returned to Colombo for her electives at the Colombo National Hospital. In the meantime the University wrote to her asking her to return to Southampton during the current vacation to follow her missed work. She had to return on August 9 to begin work two days later. Her mother who had previously accompanied her daughter to pre-admission interviews at British universities and then to admit her to the university, wished to accompany the daughter because of her medical condition and because the girl would be alone during the vacation period. On July 14 the mother applied for her visa explaining clearly the circumstances. Before she made the application she inquired how long it would take and was told it would be 15 working days but if she spoke to the High Commission authorities here and explained the circumstances they could ask that it be expedited, she was told.
Regular telephone calls to the office where the application was handed in, the visa section of the British High Commission and even to the Chennai office produced varied responses including promises by the High Commission here to email Chennai to hurry it.
Finally there were promises it would be issued before the end of the week, that is several days after her daughter had already left. Chennai said it would be issued before the week was out. When she telephoned Chennai last Friday the office was closed as it was a holiday in India and to date no visa has been issued.
Meanwhile the airlines are on to her because she has been cancelling pre-booked flights and booking new flights on the basis of the assurances given by the British High Commission in Chennai that she would receive the visa before the week is over.
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