Before stepping down, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who enjoys arrest immunity, wanted to fly to Dubai. To stamp Gotabaya's passport, immigration inspectors refused inside proceed to the VIP room. Gotabaya insisted he wouldn't pass through public facilities because of fear for the flyers' wrath. After missing four planes with destinations in the United Arab Emirates, the President and his wife spent the night at a military installation close to the main international airport. The former finance minister of Sri Lanka, Basil Rajapaksa, attempted to leave the country during the uprising but was stopped at the airport after crowds recognised him and immigration officials refused to let him pass.
