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Repatriation of Sri Lankans stranded overseas: Expected to recommence this week

30 May 2021

  • Borders to re-open for foreign travellers from 1 June

  • Only a few Sri Lankans left to be repatriated: Authorities

By Yumiko Perera  As a measure to control the influx of imported Covid-19 cases, Sri Lanka last week suspended all commercial passenger arrivals into the country upon instructions provided by the health authorities. However, on Wednesday (26), the Government announced that the country’s borders would be re-opened for foreign travellers, excluding India, from 1 June.  The closure of the country’s borders was taken to ensure less strain would be put on the healthcare sector which is facing its tipping point, as multiple foreign variants of Covid-19 have been detected across the island.  Out of the four variants that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has dubbed “variants of concern”, three have been detected on the island so far.  Accordingly, all inbound passenger arrivals were suspended for 10 days, from 21 May midnight to 31 May midnight.  Meanwhile, nearly 125,000 Sri Lankans have been repatriated from various parts of the world since the onset of the pandemic, out of which approximately 85,000 are migrant workers, The Sunday Morning learnt.  It is important to understand that repatriation is a calculated risk in times of a pandemic, especially given that the country is at a crucial juncture in the battle against Covid-19. The odds, unfortunately, seem to be against us.  While several Sri Lankans working and residing overseas are still awaiting repatriation, according to the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) and the Foreign Ministry, significant progress has been made on the repatriation process thus far, and plans are in motion to resume the process once the suspension is lifted.  Approximately 150-200 Sri Lankans currently residing in India are still awaiting repatriation at present, some of whom are unable to travel back to the island, owing to the travel suspension which is currently in place, The Sunday Morning learnt.  According to the Director General - East Asia at the Foreign Ministry, Balasubramaniam Kandeepan, only a few Sri Lankans awaiting repatriation remain to be brought back to the island.  Speaking with The Sunday Morning, Kandeepan said: “Given the present situation in India, passenger flights have been halted for the time being. This is only temporary; we will resume the repatriation process soon.”  A significant amount of progress has been achieved in clearing the backlog of the numbers of migrant workers that have been awaiting repatriation, according to the SLBFE.  Speaking with The Sunday Morning, SLBFE Deputy General Manager and Spokesman Mangala Randeniya said that only a few migrant workers are awaiting repatriation at present, mainly in the Middle East.  “More than 125,000 Sri Lankans have been brought back to the island since the onset of the pandemic, out of which 85,000 are migrant workers. We don’t have a large number of migrant workers waiting to be repatriated – only a very few remain,” Randeniya said.  Stating that people have the chance to come back but given the current suspension of passenger arrivals, the process has been temporarily halted, Randeniya reiterated that the process would resume once the suspension is lifted.  “The backlog we had is nearly cleared, as many migrant workers from across the globe who were facing dire situations have already been repatriated,” Randeniya added.  The last batch of Sri Lankan migrant workers comprising 103 individuals that had been kept in detention centres in Riyadh and Jeddah had returned to the country just last week, after the Government had taken measures in order to bring them back into the country.  While it is undeniable that remittances of Sri Lankan migrant workers’ wages are an important source of foreign exchange for the stability of the country’s economy, they are vulnerable to labour trafficking, the use of fraud or coercion to recruit, domestic servitude, forced labour, debt bondage, or other abusive situations.  The Government has several measures put in place to address the welfare of individuals that have travelled abroad for employment, there is still a pressing need for better policies when it comes to the likes of domestic migrant workers.  The SLBFE already has a multitude of programmes in place to regulate recruitment agencies, manage complaints of migrant workers, and offer training and orientation programmes for migrant workers.  Against this backdrop, the insurance scheme that is being offered to migrant workers registered under the SLBFE could be considered an added benefit, through which migrant workers are discouraged to opt for foreign employment through unlicensed/illegal foreign employment agencies.  Repatriation, however, has become the most pressing demand for many Sri Lankans abroad who are facing the repercussions of the global pandemic.  Through the insurance scheme the SLBFE offers at present, migrant workers registered under the SLBFE are entitled to a maximum of Rs. 600,000 in case of an employee’s death, and Rs. 400,000 in case of total disability.  This insurance scheme does not however cover a variety of industrial accidents, access to medical care for mental health, harassment by employers, and loss of employment due to Covid-19. In this light, the Cabinet of Ministers recently gave the nod to introduce a suitable insurance scheme for Sri Lankan migrant workers, through which these factors would also be taken into consideration, ensuring the betterment of the migrant workers whose contribution to the foreign exchange reserves in the country is invaluable.


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