Courtesy Hiru News

The Prime Minister instructed the authorities to expedite the repatriation of foreign workers who are expecting to return to Sri Lanka.

The Prime Minister made this observation at a discussion held at Temple Trees on the repatriation of Sri Lankan workers abroad, according to the Prime Minister’s Media Unit.

Piyankara Jayaratne, State Minister of Foreign Employment Promotion and Market Diversification; Gamini Senarath, Secretary to the Prime Minister; Yoshitha Rajapaksa, Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister and the Chairman of the SriLankan Airlines Ashok Pathirage participated in the discussion.

State Minister Piyankara Jayaratne has pointed out that a large number of Sri Lankan expatriate workers who are faced with economic hardships are unable to return to Sri Lanka.

Accordingly, the Prime Minister said that steps will be taken to bring these workers back to Sri Lanka as soon as possible in consultation with the Presidential Task Force.

Accordingly, the discussion also focused on granting the necessary permits for the passenger planes carrying these workers and the possibility of performing their PCR tests.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has stated that the Presidential Task Force will focus on whether such workers can be allowed to quarantine themselves according to the space available in their homes.

About 32,000 Sri Lankan workers have been repatriated so far and another 22,483 are expecting to return to their homeland.

SriLankan Airlines Chairman Ashok Pathirage stated that air travel facilities have been provided to these workers so far considering the space available at the quarantine centers.