248 stranded workers in Oman to return to SL: FM

The Sri Lanka Embassy in Oman in collaboration with the Presidential Secretariat and the Foreign Ministry of Sri Lanka, made special arrangements for the repatriation of 248 stranded Sri Lankan migrant workers from Muscat to Colombo by Sri Lankan Airlines on April 1, 2021, a statement from the Foreign Ministry said .   

This included 45 stranded Sri Lankan migrant workers who had overstayed in the Sultanate of Oman after the expiry of their visas. Others included Sri Lankan migrant workers who had lost their jobs, sheltered at the Embassy Safe House, released from prisons and those who were under medical emergencies.  

The Government of Oman granted an amnesty for the Sri Lankan destitute migrant workers to leave Oman with the full waiver of their penalties and fines. The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Muscat provided them with necessary travel documents free of charge to return to Sri Lanka. Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Sultanate of Oman Ameer Ajwad extended his sincere gratitude to the Government of Sultan Haitham bin Tarik for the generous gesture extended to the destitute Sri Lankan migrant workers for their return with the exemption of their penalties/fines and for the further extension of the amnesty period until 30 June 2021. 

The Embassy has so far facilitated the repatriation of around 425 Sri Lankan destitute migrant workers with the full waiver of their penalties and fines utilising the amnesty.