Financial Times

Nearly 4,000 jobs are being offered in Jordan and Syria to desperate Sri Lankan workers held up in war-torn Lebanon with negotiations also on with Libya, the top Sri Lankan association representing employment agents said.

Anver Ulumudeen, President of the Association of Licensed Foreign Employment Agencies (ALFEA), said they have been able to secure 3,000 jobs in Jordan through counterpart agencies while another 1,000 have been promised from Syria.

"We are sending a 6-member team from ALFEA to Damascus (and possibly Lebanon) this week with Sri Lankan government support to set up a coordination centre. We may be away for an indefinite period," he told The Sunday Times FT.

The delegation led by Ulumudeen includes Suraj Dandeniya, immediate Past President of the Association, Treasurer M.B.M. Zaman and three others from ALFEA.

At least 500 workers fleeing Lebanon have returned to Sri Lanka since last Saturday.

More workers are being repatriated from Lebanon but the government’s position is that it’s not encouraging workers to leave which is not in consonance with other countries who are urging their nationals to leave the besieged country.

The ALFEA president said on Wednesday and Thursday they discussed the proposal with Labour and Foreign Employment Athauda Seneviratne and his officials and they were receptive to the move and promised support but industry officials said the process, as expected was slow.

“We’ll leave this week even if a government response doesn’t come,” he said adding that ALFEA has also decided to pay compensation of Rs 10,000 per returning worker. The jobs on offer would also be available for those who have returned.

Ulumudeen said they were working through employment and government agencies in Syria and Jordan to expedite the process involving job visas and other documentation so that fleeing workers could immediately move into these jobs after arriving in Damascus.ALFEA has also had discussions for support from International Labour Organisation, International Organisation of Migration and Caritas, an international NGO working with migrant workers.

Ulumudeen said they are placing a lot of priority on this emergency work situation. "We are waiving off all fees (from local and foreign agents) and the new job offers will be at no cost (including no visa charges) to workers," he said.There were some 90,000 Sri Lankan workers in Lebanon before the clashes erupted.