Janaka Adhikari, Attorney-at-Law, Financial Secretary of Ethera Api organization said that the government was not attending the burning problems of the Sri Lankan expatriate workers. "Many Sri Lankan workers in the Middle East cannot return home because the government has no proper plan for repatriation," he charged.
Ethera Api organization pointed out that contracts of some of these expatriate workers have ended. They have no social security and even food and lodging in some situations. They will be fined for overstaying because of the fault of the government of Sri Lanka.
"Some housemaids have to work in homes under dire conditions without legal contracts. They are subjected to exploitation as a result of the situation. Some have no place to live and they sleep in public parks and roadsides," Adhikari said. "In Dubai, there are over 7,000 Sri Lankan workers waiting to return to Sri Lanka. There are thousands of similar Sri Lankans in countries like Saudi Arbia, Qatar and Kuwait."
The representative of the Ethera Api organization said that some Sri Lankans had worked illegally, but they sent much needed foreign exchange to the home country. The workers who have no work visa face the utmost difficulties. Ethera Api organization demanded the government to attend to the problems of these Sri Lankans also.
"Let them come and quarantine at home. Don't delay their return citing the lack of space for quarantine," Janaka Adhikari demanded. He pointed out that there was business behind repatriation of Sri Lankans. "Srilankan increased airfare unfairly and the workers cannot bear it. They have to pay for quarantine in hotels which belong to government cronies."
Meanwhile, the government claims they have repatriated more than 40,000 Sri Lankans and the operation which was held due to the second outbreak of COVID-19 will resume next week.
Photo: Foreign workers in Dubai via UCA News)
