Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka’s outgoing president, has been prevented from leaving the country by airport officials on Monday night, following protests in the country over an economic crisis.

According to The Guardian, immigration officials at the international airport in Colombo, the country’s capital, refused to stamp his airport at the VIP section.

After being turned down at the VIP area, the president could not also go through the ordinary queues over fears of being mobbed by the Sri Lankan public.

READ ALSO: Sri Lanka’s President Ready to Quit Amid Protests

He was eventually forced to leave the airport after he was prevented from departing the country for Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

As a result of the development, Rajapaksa missed four flights to the UAE, forcing him and his wife to return to a nearby military base.

Rajapaksa has been accused of overseeing corruption and the economic mismanagement that led to Sri Lanka’s worst economic crisis since independence.

READ ALSO: Over Economic Crisis, Sri Lanka Protesters Burn Prime Minister’s Residence

Over the weekend, protesters took over Rajapaksa’s residence, jumping into the swimming pool, lounging in the bedrooms and working out on the treadmill. He was forced to flee his residence as a result of the protest.

Rajapaksa has agreed to resign from office on July 13.