General Amnesty for illegal Lankan migrant workers in Lebanon

The Lebanon government has agreed to extend a general amnesty for the illegal Sri Lankan migrant workers in the country after the discussions held between the two governments, government information department said.

Sri Lankan Ambassador in Lebanon Mrs. R.K. Wijerathne Mendis under the direction of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mangala Samaraweera, made a special request from the  Government of Lebanon to extend such general amnesty and the Embassy held discussions with the Lebanon Minister for Home Affairs, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and the Chief of the Department of Immigration and Migration General Ibraham Abbas in this regard.

Under this general amnesty, over 400 migrant workers staying in Lebanon illegally will be alble to return to the country. No Sri Lankan migrant worker will be arrested or detained during this period.

Before this, three general amnesty periods were declared by Lebanon in 2004, 2006, and 2010. They were declared by the Government of Lebanon under special circumstances and this year general amnesty is declared by them due to the close bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and Lebanon.