Five transit passengers aboard a SriLankan Airlines flight have been subjected to harassment by immigration officials at Singapore’s airport, according to an investigation by SriLankan Airlines.
This is because the passengers had complained to the SriLankan authorities about the injustice done to them.
The passengers had left for Singapore on UL 308 on October 31.
The passengers were three Sri Lankan passengers and two Filipino passengers.
Narita Airport in Japan has been the destination for Sri Lankan passengers and Manila Airport in the Philippines has been the destination for Filipinos.
All five passengers were direct ticket holders of SriLankan Airlines.
It is also said that three Sri Lanka Airlines checkpoints at the Katunayake airport had issued boarding permits for three persons up to Narita Airport and two persons up to Manila Airport.
They were also issued boarding permits for JL 712 (UL 3354) to fly from Changi Airport to Narita Airport.
At the Changi Airport, Singapore immigration officials did not send them to their destination, but locked them in a dark room.
However, the passengers allege that SriLankan Airlines had issued air tickets to the passengers when it was known that its passengers would not be allowed to make transit from Changi Airport.
It is said that the passengers had informed SriLankan Chairman Ashoka Pathirage at the time of the incident.
However, due to the deportation of the passengers from Singapore, it is reported that they will never be able to return to Singapore.
The three Sri Lankan passengers who were there were brought back to Sri Lanka after the intervention of the Sri Lankan Embassy in Singapore and even after their arrival they were detained by the Immigration and Emigration officers for about three and a half hours.