In Sri Lanka… Thousands seek to flee countries ravaged by economic crisis

Sri Lankans are queuing this year, in an effort to obtain travel documents that will allow them to flee their country, which is in economic crisis after standing in long waits for food and fuel last year.

Gayan Jayewardena, 43, stood at a government office waiting to issue a passport to his child, and the customer service official told AFP “the situation is not improving,” stressing “all that seems normal is a mirage,” adding that “when we think about it from the point of view of our children, it is better to leave, we would like to leave for a country like New Zealand.”

Sri Lanka defaulted on its $46 billion external debt in April 2022, citizens suffered months of food, fuel and medicine shortages, and last year’s economic crisis triggered months-long civil unrest and ousted then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

His successor Ranil Wickremesinghe raised taxes, abolished generous energy subsidies and sharply raised prices to increase State revenues, in two actions that were unpopular, although the new Government had restored supplies, but which were now priced at three times their previous price.

The crisis declined as the government concluded a $2.9 billion bailout with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in March, but many in the country are not optimistic.