Sri Lankan migrant workers who are stranded in the Maldives due to the wide-spreading COVID-19 pandemic have appealed to the government for a chance to be repatriated to the island nation.
In a video statement, they have voiced the difficulties they are currently facing in the Maldives.
Mahendra Ranasinghe, a Sri Lankan migrant worker in the Maldives, assured that they would adhere to the guidelines issued by the health authorities in Sri Lanka if they are evacuated from the archipelago.
Mr. Ranasinghe, speaking to Ada Derana, said approximately 100 out of 145 hotels in the Maldives have been shut down in response to the pandemic outbreak.
As a result, most of the Sri Lankan migrant workers are being laid off from their jobs, facing salary cuts or forced to go on unpaid leave.
Some of these Sri Lankans are also struggling to find accommodation and food, he added.
Hence, he urged the Sri Lankan government to heed their request for repatriation.
