Although some of the 350 Sri Lankans who have not been paid for over a year by their employer and are stranded in Jordan can be repatriated through general procedures, a special decision will have to be taken regarding some of them who have gone there on tourist visas, and then been working, said the State Minister of Foreign Employment Promotion Jagath Pushpakumara.

It was recently reported that around 350 Sri Lankans who have not been paid for over a year by their employer, a garment factory in Sahab, Jordan, are living under difficult conditions. The garment factory at which they have been working for over six years is said to have closed down recently.

When contacted by The Daily Morning to inquire about the matter, Pushpakumara said that the Government had already paid attention to the matter. “Among these Sri Lankans, there are those who have gone to Jordan after registering with the relevant local agencies such as the Foreign Employment Bureau. There are some others who have gone there on tourist visas, and been working. We can act with regard to the first category under the general procedure, but a special decision will have to be taken regarding the second category.”

He also said that some in the said group of Sri Lankans are waiting to come back to Sri Lanka once they are provided with the relevant compensation by the employer. “There is a Labour Ministry in Jordan similar to what we have here. When a factory is closed, its employees should be compensated. The relevant official there has lodged a complaint with regard to this factory. Therefore, some of the Sri Lankans plan to return to Sri Lanka when they are paid compensation after the relevant procedures.”

According to recent reports, the group of Sri Lankans in question had been working there for about six years, but their visas had expired with the company having been closed down recently. The reports read that they were living in company dormitories and were finding it difficult even to access food. The electricity for the dormitories had reportedly been disconnected. They had claimed that the Sri Lankan Embassy in Jordan had not provided any assistance, and urged the Government to make arrangements for their return to the country.