21 May 2020 – Plans made to repatriate Sri Lankans from various countries

Type of Intervention: Specific Action
Sectors Involved: Immigration, Transportation
Intervention Categories: International travel measures; Repatriation of nationals
Level of Jurisdiction: Supranational
Lead People/Agency: Foreign Ministry, Sri Lankan Airlines, Sri Lankan Embassies.

Overview: So far around 4,500 migrant workers have returned to the country. The government is in the process of making arrangements for the repatriation of another 41,000 Sri Lankans in a systematic manner. A proposal submitted to the Cabinet by the Foreign Relations Minister had received approval. From May 21 migrant workers and Sri Lankans from Indonesia will be repatriated, while students from Russia will be repatriated from May 22 and from May 23rd Sri Lankans at high risk in Bangladesh will be repatriated. On May 26th Sri Lankan migrant workers from Qatar will be repatriated and from May 28th students studying in Belarus will be brought back home. Thereafter, Sri Lankans in the Middle East and the Maldives will be repatriated.
Full details here: https://news.lk/news/political-current-affairs/item/30175-sri-lanka-takes-measures-to-systematically-repatriate-sri-lankans

Type of Justification: Advice of INTERNAL government advisory committee or group
Source of Evidence or Justification: Anecdotal Evidence (e.g. social or traditional media with limited evidence base)
Evidence/Justification: Requests by migrant workers, those stranded during transit and students have made requests through the media and have written to the government.