Expatriate workers return to South Korea

By Ajithlal Shanthaudaya  

A group of 100 Sri Lankan expatriate workers in South Korea who had come to Sri Lanka on holiday left for Korea on Thursday

night (30).   Convener of the Korea - Sri Lanka Brotherhood Collective, Roshan Wickremesinghe said, more than 500 expatriate workers in Korea who had returned to the country on holiday were facing hardship for want of flight arrangements and about 300 of them had joined the Korea - Sri Lanka Brotherhood Collective.   He said South Korea was just another country facing the threat of Covid-19, but the Sri Lankan expatriate workers decided to leave for Korea in fear of any possible loss of employment. He pointed out that the Korean government had implemented an effective programme to bring the virulent disease under control since January this year and that they were hopeful of protection.   

“We had paid for the return flight when we came on holiday, but these airlines have suspended flights. When we informed it to the employer companies in Korea they arranged for our flight at our own expenses. It cost Rs.300,000 each. We would fly to Qatar and take transit flights to South Korea where we would be subject to quarantine,” Roshan further said.