Despite the escalation of attacks on Israel amid its ongoing conflict with Iran, many Sri Lankans working in the country claim to be confident about remaining in Israel.

Leaving Israel through the country’s airports has become an impossibility due to the closing of Israeli airspace. However some Sri Lankans in Israel say that they prefer to stay than to return even if they were offered the opportunity. 

These sentiments were expressed by groups that had arrived in Israel recently. One Sri Lankan who chose to remain anonymous said that the emergency alert apps allowed them to watch out for their safety in the face of incoming attacks. Israel has multiple national security and emergency alert mobile apps. 

“There is an app that alerts us when attacks are incoming, so it is safe. There are safety rooms everywhere. Whenever the alert tells us that our area would be affected, we go to the safety room and stay there for about 10 minutes,” he told The Sunday Morning. 

He added that there were times his friends had to spend the night in these safety rooms.

A risk worth taking?

On Tuesday (17), Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism Vijitha Herath told Parliament that four Sri Lankans working in Israel had been injured by the attacks so far. 

While three of them had only faced minor injuries, the Minister said that one person had faced serious injuries to their leg from an incident that involved glass. He added that this person was undergoing treatment for their injuries. 

There are about 20,000 Sri Lankans working in Israel at present. The Sri Lankan worker in Israel who spoke to The Sunday Morning said that they had signed affidavits acknowledging that they were aware of the risks of travelling to the country given the existing conflict scenario. 

Working in a location close to the Lebanese border, he said that they had witnessed rockets flying towards Israel. Videos shared on social media depicted Sri Lankans in Israel watching rockets enter the night sky. Whereas most of these missiles are intercepted, some fall into nearby areas, causing the people to seek shelter in bunkers. 

The Sri Lankan claimed that none of his colleagues were planning to return in the face of the conflict, noting: “We came here because we had problems, so I will stay. As far as I know, nobody from Sri Lanka is planning to return at this moment.”

Having grown up amidst Sri Lanka’s own conflict, he felt that he was used to such situations. 

Meanwhile, a group of workers headed to Israel had been stranded at the Dubai and Abu Dhabi Airports. Initially, according to Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment Arun Hemachandra, despite being offered return flights through the National Carrier, they had remained, hoping to enter israel. However, Minister Herath later told Parliament on Tuesday that these groups had returned to the island. 

The Sri Lankan Embassy in Israel has contacted worker groups arriving in Israel and communicated that it can be reached out to at any given time should the requirement arise. However, some of these groups have experienced difficulties in getting in touch with the embassy during hours outside of set office hours. 

However, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Public Diplomacy Division Director General Thushara Rodrigo said that emergency contact numbers and other communication outlets had been established for Sri Lankans in Israel to contact the mission in Israel 24/7. 

Govt. efforts

Amidst the rising tensions and the closing of Israeli air space, sending workers to Israel has been temporarily halted. Those who have returned to Sri Lanka on holiday have been asked to remain in the country until further notice. 

Minister Herath said that the Government was in discussions with Israeli authorities to ensure job security and visa extensions of Sri Lankans who were unable to return from their holidays. 

According to him, bringing 20,000 Sri Lankans back to their homeland through chartered flights is a challenging endeavour. He added that the Government was engaged in discussions with neighbouring countries to facilitate the workers’ return to Sri Lanka by exiting Israel through land routes if the situation were to intensify.

The workers are also facing challenges in sending remittances to Sri Lanka due to the ongoing conflict. 

Meanwhile, as Iran endures attacks from Israel, the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Iran has been temporarily relocated from Tehran. Concerns have risen about the safety of approximately 35 Sri Lankans in Iran. 

According to Minister Herath, the embassy is in contact with all Sri Lankans in Iran and a group of students have sought the refuge of the embassy. Their exit from the country would be made through land channels to neighbouring Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey, the Minister further said. 

It is learnt that India has also offered assistance to evacuate the Sri Lankan students from Iran under its Operation Sindhu. According to Rodrigo, measures are underway to safely transport the Sri Lankans and allow them to cross the border to neighbouring countries.

“Our mission in Iran is in touch with the ministry and the Indians in well-coordinated efforts to allow their safe passage back. It will take 2-3 days. Depending on the country closest to their current location, they will cross the borders,” he said. 

Since last week, violent confrontations between Israel and Iran have been taking place after Israel launched strikes on Iranian targets such as nuclear facilities, air defence sites, and security headquarters, killing top military figures and nuclear scientists. 

Iran subsequently retaliated with missile and rocket attacks that hit Israeli military locations and civilian areas. An Iranian projectile hit the Soroka Hospital in Beersheba in southern Israel. However, foreign media reports quote Iranian sources as claiming that the target was an Israeli defence facility and not the hospital. 

Israeli attacks on Palestinians in Gaza continue to add to the death toll in the region.