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Asked Date
2021-04-22
Asked by
Hon. Imthiaz Bakeer Markar, M.P.
Ministry
Foreign Affairs
Legislature
Ninth Parliament of the D.S.R. of Sri Lanka
Session
First Session
(a) (i) The number of expatriate Sri Lankan citizens who have applied to return to Sri Lanka by registering with the “Contact Sri Lanka” website, which is maintained by the Foreign Ministry, from 26.03.2020 to 21.07.2021 is 61,603. This includes:
Gone abroad for short visits 5,902
Students 3,352
Workers abroad and dependents 52,348
Total 61,603
The figures of regional breakdown are:
(ii) The number of Sri Lankans who have been repatriated as at 21.07.2021 is as follows:
Returnees registered at Sri Lankan Missions/Posts abroad as at 21.07.2021
|
Category |
Total Returees Registered |
|
Short-term visitors |
5,902 |
|
Students |
3,353 |
|
Migrant workers and Dependents |
52,348 |
|
Grand Total |
61,603 |
Regional breakdown of returnees registered at Sri Lanka Missions
|
Region |
Total Returees Registered |
|
Africa |
479 |
|
East Asia |
7,879 |
|
Europe, Central Asia and EU |
13,216 |
|
Latin America and Caribbean |
62 |
|
Middle East |
32,053 |
|
North America |
1,442 |
|
South Asia |
3,155 |
|
Southeast Asia |
3,317 |
|
Grand Total |
61,603 |
The opportunity to come to this country has been provided from 06.04.2021 for the Sri Lankan citizens abroad, dual citizens with Sri Lankan passports, spouses with foreign citizenship of Sri Lankan citizens, children with foreign citizenship of Sri Lankan parents and Sri Lankan sailors arriving in Sri Lanka by air, subject to the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health from time to time and without the prior permission of the Foreign Ministry and to carry a maximum of 75 passengers per aircraft.
(b) (i) As mentioned above, Sri Lankans living abroad are provided with the facility to contact the relevant airlines and return to the Island on the basis of the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health from time to time.
Further, the Foreign Ministry, in coordination with the Ministry of Health and the Civil Aviation Authority, will continue to facilitate the Sri Lankan citizens requesting to return to Sri Lanka from India, South African and South American countries which are subject to restricted entry to Sri Lanka as per the guidelines currently in force dated 15th July, 2021 issued by the Ministry of Health.
Accordingly, the Foreign Ministry, in coordination with the Sri Lankan Embassy in India and SriLankan Airlines, facilitated the return of 280 Sri Lankans who were unable to return to Sri Lanka from India.
Further, action has been taken to repatriate the migrant Sri Lankans, who wish to pay for their quarantine, transportation and other facilities, by charter and cargo aircraft coordinated by the relevant embassy.
Please note, however, that the number of daily repatriations depends on the amount of space available in the quarantine centres, the number of COVID patients reported in the Island, the heath guidelines issued from time to time by the Ministry of Health as well as the government policies issued by the relevant governments of the countries where Sri Lankans are staying.
(ii) The number of people repatriated to Sri Lanka per month is determined by the Presidential Task Force on the basis of periodic surveys and data obtained from the Sri Lanka Army and other relevant service providers in charge of government quarantine centres involved in the repatriation programme and also based on the observations of the Ministry of Health issuing the health guidelines.
(iii) No such time frame can be given for this.
It varies based on the guidelines of the Ministry of Health and the local COVID situation. However, as mentioned earlier, Sri Lankans are now allowed to enter the Island connecting with the relevant airlines as the prior permission of the Foreign Ministry and the Civil Aviation Authority, which had previously been required for Sri Lankans to visit Sri Lanka, has been revoked. (The maximum number of daily arrivals per flight entering the Island, which is currently at 75 passengers per flight, has been imposed by the Civil Aviation Authority on the advice of the health sector.)
(c) The Foreign Ministry has airlifted more than 10,000 dry rations and indigenous medicine packets to Dubai and Doha Qatar as immediate relief while nearly Rs. 130 million - Rs. 100 million from the Foreign Ministry and Rs. 30 million from the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment - has been allocated by the Government for the welfare of migrant workers.
From the outset, the Government has been working to repatriate Sri Lankans who have requested to return to Sri Lanka, giving priority to special groups such as patients, the elderly, pregnant mothers, children and the unemployed.
Further, the Government of Sri Lanka is continuing to take necessary action to negotiate with foreign countries to facilitate visa extensions for them without penalty at the expiration of the visa, to negotiate with employers who have failed to pay their salaries properly and get their salaries paid and also for necessary legal intervention in cases of disagreement. Further, the embassies have been instructed to provide prompt solutions to their problems. Furthermore, the Labour Welfare Divisions of the embassies have introduced special telephone numbers to enable Sri Lankans who fall into the above categories in those countries to report their problems directly to the embassies, thereby enabling them to take necessary remedial action. Also, food, shelter and medical assistance were provided through the embassies to the Sri Lankans who have lost their jobs.
(d) Does not arise.
Answered Date
2021-08-03
Answered by
Hon. Tharaka Balasuriya, M.P.
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