Dozens of Lankans stranded at Bucharest Airport

• They were left stranded at the airport for several hours

Dozens of Sri Lankans who worked at a textile factory at Botosani in Romania were stranded at the Bucharest Airport on Sunday evening since there was no flight to return to Sri  Lanka, Romania Insider reported.    

“They were transported to Bucharest’s main airport on Sunday as they were told they would be repatriated, but there was no flight scheduled for them. Hence, they were left stranded at the airport for several hours,” Romania Insider reported quoting Digi24. 
At some point, one of them contracted COVID-19 thus prompting the entire lot to be placed under institutionalised quarantine for three weeks. Meanwhile, they were told they could go back to their home country as they were all fired. Two buses transported the 36 Sri Lankan workers to Bucharest’s main airport in Otopeni on Sunday. 
However, as Sri Lanka’s airports are closed, no commercial aircraft is flying to Sri  Lanka.  There was no repatriation flight scheduled for the workers. 

The news report said it was still unclear as to who had informed the workers they could return to their home country. According to the media, transport to the airport had been organised by the Botosani  Prefecture. 
Meanwhile, Labour Minister Violeta Alexandru went to the airport to check on the situation. She said she would verify their departure from Botosani as well as the reasons for which they were fired. 

The 36 workers were eventually accommodated at a hotel near the airport.