SLBFE to protect migrant workers at BIA

by Ananda KANNANGARA

The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) will strengthen security in the vicinity of the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) to protect Sri Lankan migrant workers from unauthorised taxi drivers, touts and other shady characters who cheat them on their arrival to the country.

"The objective of strengthening security at the BIA is to provide additional protection to Sri Lankan migrant workers returning to the country, especially from the Middle East," Chairman, SLBFE, Kingsley Ranawaka said.

Nearly 6,000 Sri Lankan migrant workers return from Middle Eastern countries every month and 85 percent of them are females.

The Bureau Chairman also said that the security strengthening program had been launched by the Bureau earlier too and it helped female workers who were returning after their stint from abroad with cash, and other valuables.

"Since the number of workers to foreign countries had increased sharply especially during the festive period it is our duty to deploy adequate law enforcement officers to protect them," he said.

Ranawaka also said that the Bureau often receives information on migrant workers being waylaid by persons on their way home from the airport or robbed of their hard-earned money and other valuables.

The law enforcement officers deployed at the arrivals' terminal of the Airport will also arrange to provide transport to expatriate returnees by buses to return to their homes.