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Migrant worker repatriation: Only a few left: SLBFE

23 May 2021

  • Significant backlog cleared: SLBFE 

  • Repatriation to resume once passenger arrivals permitted  

By Yumiko Perera  The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) revealed that there has been a significant amount of progress achieved in clearing the backlog in the numbers of migrant workers awaiting repatriation.  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.  “More than 125,000 Sri Lankans have been brought back, 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.   “People have the chance to come back, but given the current suspension of passenger arrivals, the process has been temporarily halted, and would resume once the suspension is lifted. The backlog we had is almost cleared, as many migrant workers from across the globe who faced destitution and dire situations have already been repatriated,” Randeniya added.  Speaking with regard to the insurance scheme that is made available to migrant workers, Randeniya noted: “Every Sri Lankan employee who has been registered with the SLBFE is covered under this scheme, through which they would receive certain benefits.” 


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