Lankan Embassy in Oman facilitates return of 248 stranded Lankans

Sri Lankans at the Muscut airport awaiting repatriation

The Sri Lanka Embassy in Oman in collaboration with the Presidential Secretariat and the Foreign Ministry, made special arrangements for the repatriation of 248 stranded Sri Lankan migrant workers from Muscat to Colombo by SriLankan Airlines on 01 April 2021. The group included around 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 lost their jobs, sheltered at the Embassy Safe House, released from prisons and those who were under medical emergencies, the Foreign Ministry stated in a press release issued yesterday (5)

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 home. 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 home with the waiver 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 exemption of their penalties and fines utilizing the amnesty.

The Government of Sri Lanka arranged free PCR tests for all 248 Sri Lankan migrant workers on their arrival at the BIA and provided quarantine facilities free of charge for all of them with accommodation, food and other facilities for 14 days at Quarantine Centers maintained by the Government.