Sri Lanka is to bring back some 30,000 migrant workers stranded in the Middle East and unable to return due to high quarantine fees.
As per the foreign employment ministry official, the decision comes after recent reports highlighted the plight of Sri Lankan workers who lost their jobs to pandemic shutdowns and were left unable to go home as they could not afford mandatory isolation on arrival under their country’s coronavirus rules.
“We are planning to repatriate 30,000 stranded Lankan migrant workers from the Middle East under the new scheme, which would waive the hotel charges during their mandatory quarantine period,” the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment spokesman Ravindra Randeniya said.
He also stated that the returning migrant workers will no longer be charged for accommodation during their quarantine and the agency is planning to complete the repatriation process within the next three months.
As per the foreign employment ministry official, the decision comes after recent reports highlighted the plight of Sri Lankan workers who lost their jobs to pandemic shutdowns and were left unable to go home as they could not afford mandatory isolation on arrival under their country’s coronavirus rules.
“We are planning to repatriate 30,000 stranded Lankan migrant workers from the Middle East under the new scheme, which would waive the hotel charges during their mandatory quarantine period,” the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment spokesman Ravindra Randeniya said.
He also stated that the returning migrant workers will no longer be charged for accommodation during their quarantine and the agency is planning to complete the repatriation process within the next three months.
