A total of 40 Sri Lankan migrant workers received their long-overdue dues today (13) at the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE). The funds, amounting to about Rs. 5.69 million, were presented under the patronage of SLBFE General Manager Devapriya Gunasinghe.
According to an SLBFE statement, the sum is equivalent to Saudi Riyals (SAR) 639,381. It was claimed back as unpaid salaries and allowances owed to workers who went through various hardships while employed in Saudi Arabia.
Embassy rescues and legal action
The money was recovered through legal steps, field operations, and rescue drives handled by the Employment and Labour Welfare Section of the Sri Lankan Embassy in Saudi Arabia. These operations ran from January this year until November 11.
The embassy team also worked to rescue Sri Lankan workers who were being held illegally, helping to bring them safely back to Sri Lanka. Once recovered, the money was sent over to the SLBFE to be distributed to the rightful owners.
What happens next
The SLBFE has instructed the embassy section to keep assisting Sri Lankan workers facing similar troubles in the future.
