斯里兰卡在公众的强烈反对和法律挑战之后,推翻了它有争议的2024年将入境签证外包的决定。 Sri Lanka reversed its controversial 2024 decision to outsource on-arrival visas after public backlash and legal challenges.

2024年,斯里兰卡政府面临在Katunayake国际机场将抵达签证处理外包给外国财团VFS Global(VFS Global)的强烈反对,尽管自2012年以来莫比泰尔公司运行了长达十年的免费ETA系统,取得了成功。 In 2024, Sri Lanka’s government faced backlash for outsourcing on-arrival visa processing at Katunayake International Airport to VFS Global, a foreign consortium, despite a decade-long, successful free ETA system run by Mobitel since 2012. 此举在没有公开招标的情况下做出，在一段病毒式传播的抗议视频后引发了公众的愤怒，并导致游客人数下降。 The move, made without a public tender, sparked public outrage after a viral protest video and led to a drop in tourist arrivals. 尽管VFS在电子签证处理中继续发挥作用, 但5月政府扭转了路线, 恢复对入境签证的控制。 After intense scrutiny and legal challenges, the government reversed course in May, reclaiming control of on-arrival visas, though VFS retained role in electronic visa processing. 该合同仍在由最高法院进行法律审查,据称存在非正常采购、财务损失和对旅游业的损害。 The contract remains under legal review by the Supreme Court, with allegations of irregular procurement, financial loss, and damage to tourism.