A sum of approximately Rs. 5.69 million has been handed over to 40 Sri Lankan migrant workers who had faced various difficulties in Saudi Arabia.
The financial assistance was disbursed today (13) at the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE), under the patronage of its General Manager, Devapriya Gunasinghe, the SLBFE said in a statement.
The amount, equivalent to Saudi Riyals (SAR) 639,381, was recovered as unpaid salaries and allowances owed to the respective workers.
The funds were recovered through legal interventions, operations and rescue efforts carried out by the Employment and Labour Welfare Section of the Sri Lankan Embassy in Saudi Arabia during the period from January this year to November 11.
The section has also taken steps to rescue Sri Lankan workers who were being illegally detained and facilitate their repatriation to Sri Lanka.
The recovered funds, which belonged to the respective workers, had been transferred to the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment. Accordingly, the bureau handed over the recovered payments, amounting to approximately Rs. 5.69 million, to the workers today.
The bureau has also instructed the relevant section to continue providing necessary assistance to Sri Lankan workers facing similar difficulties in the future.
