Travel Ban That Never Was: Unpacking a Viral Claim Against Minister Anil Jayantha

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Sri Lankan pilgrims heading to India’s Buddhist sacred sites have hit a genuine wall this year: visas cost more, processing time is longer and must now be obtained in person. Into that real frustration landed a card bearing the News 1st logo, claiming Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Dr. Anil Jayantha had moved to ban travelling to India, altogether as pilgrims. It spread fast, because it seemed to explain something people were already feeling. We investigated. Here is what we found.

Social Media Posts

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Related posts circulated further on social media as follows.

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We therefore set out to verify the truth behind the claim.

Fact Check:

The post was created bearing Sirasa News1st’s official logo. We checked whether such a story had been published by News1st and found that no such post exists.

Moreover, had the Minister genuinely made such a statement, mainstream media would certainly have covered it. Our investigation confirmed that no mainstream outlet or credible official source has reported any such claim.

Ministry of Labour

Issuing a media statement, the Ministry of Labour clarified that the Minister made no such statement at any point, and that the circulating claims are entirely fabricated.

The Ministry noted that this false information is being spread by groups pursuing narrow political agendas aimed at undermining Sri Lanka’s social, political and religious harmony. Expressing deep regret over such baseless propaganda, the statement added that it strongly condemns these actions.

Media Secretary to Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Anil Jayantha

We also contacted the media secretary to the Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning, who likewise confirmed that the post is entirely false.

What Sparked the Creation of Such Posts

The post surfaced against the backdrop of a genuine visa complication: Indian authorities recently suspended the long-standing one-month visa concession previously offered to Sri Lankans undertaking pilgrimages to India.

The concessional scheme, previously arranged by tour operators on behalf of pilgrims, has been discontinued. Pilgrim visas must now be obtained through the standard process, as a result, fees have risen from Rs. 3,875 to Rs. 9,850. Furthermore, where tour operators once handled group applications collectively, pilgrims must now visit the Indian Visa Centre in Colombo individually. The shift has driven up pilgrimage costs and created real hardship for both devotees and Buddhist pilgrimage tour organizers.

The Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs has formally requested direct intervention from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to resolve the visa hurdles facing Sri Lankan pilgrims travelling to Buddhist sacred sites in India. Buddhasasana Ministry Secretary W.P. Senadeera confirmed that all official documentation and reports on the visa crisis have already been submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the primary objective being a diplomatic-level resolution through immediate discussions with the Indian High Commission.

Commenting on the situation, Mahendra Halloluwa, Secretary General of the Foreign Buddhist Pilgrimage Tour Organizers’ Association, said new security regulations imposed by the Indian government have caused severe hardship for pilgrims and organizers alike. He identified the primary cause as the complete suspension, over the past several months, of the one-month concessional visa facility previously granted to pilgrims through Buddhasasana Ministry-registered tour organizers. Media reports are available here, here and here.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Why the Visa Scheme Actually Changed

We put the matter to Thushara Rodrigo, Director General of the International Security Cooperation and Public Diplomacy Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He explained that, previously, the Indian High Commission operated a scheme issuing free (gratis) visas to pilgrims on the basis of letters issued by the Ministry of Buddhasasana.

Because that route involved no collection of biometric data and no proper screening when individuals entered the country, it was identified as a serious security gap. In particular, even individuals subject to Interpol Red Corner Notices could exploit the scheme to enter without scrutiny.

For that reason, the scheme has now been changed, and it has been decided that pilgrims must likewise pay the standard fee, provide biometric data and undergo proper screening to obtain visas.

He added that the Ministry has raised the sudden change with the Indian High Commission and is engaging with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other relevant parties, with discussions continuing what further steps can be taken to resolve the issue while meeting security requirements.

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Conclusion

Our fact-check finds that the post claiming Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Anil Jayantha announced steps to ban travel to India, Thailand and Dubai is fabricated. The Ministry of Labour has issued a media statement confirming that the Minister made no such statement whatsoever, and News1st had not published such story.

What does exist is a separate and genuine issue: India’s suspension of the concessional pilgrim visa facility, changed on security grounds, which has raised costs and added procedural hurdles for Sri Lankan pilgrims. That is a visa policy change by Indian authorities, not a travel ban by a Sri Lankan minister. We rate the claim as false.