- Hundreds still await placements after lottery rejection
- SLBFE seeks Israeli reconsideration for excluded applicants
- Protest staged outside Presidential Secretariat over delays
- Agriculture sector opportunities limited by qualification gaps
Hundreds of qualified Sri Lankan job seekers bound for Israel are still without placements after being dropped through a lottery-based recruitment scheme, with authorities now seeking urgent reconsideration from the Israeli Government.
Additional General Manager (Acting) -- Local Affairs of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE), A K U Rohana, told The Daily Morning yesterday (18), the recruitment process was carried out under bilateral agreements between the two countries. Rohana also said that 400 to 500 applicants in the restaurant, hotel, housekeeping, and related sectors are still waiting for opportunities despite earlier intervention by the Sri Lankan Government seeking reconsideration for the rejected job seekers.
He explained that under the existing recruitment mechanism, Israel follows a lottery system in which only around 75 per cent of submitted applications are selected, while the remaining 25 per cent are excluded.
He said the system was intended to ensure transparency and avoid allegations of favouritism or bribery in the recruitment process. “For example, if we send 100 applications, around 75 per cent pass the lottery while 25 per cent are considered unsuccessful,” he said, adding that the applicants themselves are aware of the process.
He noted that around 900 applicants who had initially been excluded from restaurant, hotel, and housekeeping sector jobs were reconsidered following a special request made by the Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Minister. However, even after that intervention, several hundred applicants remain without placements.
The affected applicants are now seeking another opportunity, while the Sri Lankan authorities have formally requested the Israeli Government to either reconsider the rejected group or permit them to reapply after a break period.
Rohana further noted that discussions have already been held with the relevant Israeli authorities and a response is expected within the coming weeks.
He said that agreements for the agriculture sector are currently limited, partly due to applicants not meeting the qualification standards required by Israeli farms.
Sri Lanka currently has one main labour agreement with Israel alongside seven implementation protocols covering sectors including caregiving, agriculture, hotel housekeeping and cleaning, manufacturing, restaurants, and commerce and services, a category introduced recently.
A group of Sri Lankan job seekers for Israel staged a protest outside the Presidential Secretariat on 15 May, demanding Government intervention over long delays in their deployment.