JVP queries Govt. policy on stranded SL expatriates

26 May 2020 03:34 pm - 6 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Former JVP MP Sunil Hadunnetti today questioned the government on its policy on Sri Lankan expatriates stranded in countries such as Kuwait, Maldives, Dubai and Qatar because of the COVID-19 outbreak and asked whether funds have been allocated to our embassies overseas to provide welfare facilities to the stranded Sri Lankans.

He told a news conference that thousands of Sri Lankan expatriates were stranded in UAE, Middle Eastern countries and Maldives without jobs and other facilities and that they were even without food.

“The government promised to bring down Sri Lankan expatriates in stages under the quarantine laws. But now it has stopped bringing them back. Most of them had even purchased air tickets. Now they are helpless,” Mr. Handunhetti said.

He said they had proposed to the government to use Kuwait Fund to provide facilities to those stranded in Kuwait but it has not been done so yet.

“This fund can be used to provide food and other facilities to those stranded there. Sri Lankan embassies in those countries are helpless. They cannot do anything without funds. Government has no policy on expatriates,” Mr. Handunnetti said.

He said the government had given priority only to bring down selected groups of people and asked who gave the approval to bring a group of Seychelles nationals to Sri Lanka while Sri Lankans were still stranded there.(Ajith Siriwardana)

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Comments - 6

Kapila Senaratne Tuesday, 26 May 2020 04:43 PM

Looks like Prioritizing being given to White collar workers over Blue collar workers

Ravi Wikramasinghe Tuesday, 26 May 2020 04:56 PM

fishing troubled waters? people living in this country should stand against this dirty politicians, they are pushing govt to bring all the sick people to make this place a hell so that elections can be postponed and thus to avoid their eminent defeat. Every country has moral duty to look after sick thus Govt. should persuade those relevant (so called rich) countries to manage till SL get its facilities in place. otherwise SL will be a mess.

D Perera Wednesday, 27 May 2020 06:44 AM

All returnees will go to quarantine centers and not a single person in the community will be affected if the returnees are infected. These migrant workers have been sending money to Sri Lanka and the country has been buying food and everything using foreign exchange sent by them. Now government need to act quickly and open hundreds of quarantine centers to accommodate these suffering migrant workers.

Sokrates Wednesday, 27 May 2020 09:34 AM

All of those Sri Lankans abroad have left Sri Lanka voluntarily and without compulsion. German embassies also help "stranded Germans without money", but only with loans or flight tickets if this aid was previously paid for by family members or friends in Germany or was guaranteed for it.

M. de Silva Wednesday, 27 May 2020 10:19 AM

Mr. Ravi, when were you born. What do you mean by saying Sri Lanka will be in a mess. Sri Lanka is in a mess for number of years now. Wake up. You s(h)it in the house eating potato and dhall still due to foriegn exchange sent by these poor people working in the ME countries

Ravi Wikramasinghe Wednesday, 27 May 2020 10:40 AM

You may shit and eat in SL, I have been sending not only my earnings but also investments to SL. What we need to understand is practically SL can’t handle numbers thus it’s our duty to wait outside to support SL,

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JVP queries Govt. policy on stranded SL expatriates

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