Sri Lanka ‘poised to open embassy’ in Bahrain
May 18, 2012 10:26 am
A new labour officer is due to be appointed in Bahrain to help members of the Sri Lankan community, who have complained of a lack of support from their government. It could be followed by the opening of a Sri Lankan Embassy in Manama, the country’s Honorary Consul General P B Higgoda said.
More than 14,000 Sri Lankans live in Bahrain, but Mr Higgoda is currently Colombo’s only diplomatic representative in Bahrain.
“Last week, I personally spoke with Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare Minister Dilan Perera who assured me they were positively setting up an embassy in Bahrain,” he told the GDN yesterday.
He added he had already discussed the issue with officials at Bahrain’s Labour Ministry and Foreign Affairs Ministry.
“It is agreed that a labour officer will be soon deployed in Bahrain to assist the community in the future,” he said.
Meanwhile, he acknowledged that members of the Sri Lankan community were growing increasingly frustrated at the lack of support they received from their government, which assigns diplomatic responsibility for Bahrain to its embassy in Kuwait.
“People have full right to complain and they have done against me at the Sri Lankan Embassy in Kuwait,” he said.
“But I ask all of them to understand that I am responsible for 14,000 Sri Lankans - including 4,000 domestic workers.
“I am doing my job with full sincerity without any differentiation and am ready to resolve their cases, some of which take time to address because of complications.”
The GDN reported on Wednesday that members of the Sri Lankan community in Bahrain planned to launch a petition demanding an embassy.
Mr Higgoda admitted that he was not always available to answer phone calls from members of the community, but said there were genuine reasons.
“There can certainly be times when I do not answer my phone as I am at the police station, hospital or at the immigration,” he said.
“All the members of the Sri Lankan community have my mobile number.”
He also acknowledged that some people might think their cases were being ignored, but Mr Higgoda said he had to address cases by priority.
“I have to prioritise all my cases depending on their seriousness and it is quite possible some people might feel they are being ignored,” said Mr Higgoda.
Another allegation by Sri Lankans who contacted the GDN was that it cost BD17.5 to courier documents and passports to the Sri Lankan Embassy in Kuwait for consular services, such as passport renewals.
However, Mr Higgoda flatly denied that was the case.
“This is inaccurate,” he said. “The courier charge is fixed at BD7.6 for the application to be sent to Kuwait and then back to Bahrain.”
People also complained of delays in such services and a lack of receipts, but Mr Higgoda said documents were often sent in bulk to save money - with savings passed on to the community.
“I am actually helping our nationals by saving their money, as they have to shell out more money if each application is sent via courier to our embassy in Kuwait,” he said.
“They demand receipts but this is not possible as we receive a single receipt from the courier company, but the amount is equally divided among the applicants.
“Some people object to this and claim this is unfair, but for every consular service such as passport renewal or issuance, applicants receives a receipt from the Sri Lankan Embassy in Kuwait.”
Mr Higgoda added he regularly met members of the Sri Lankan community at the Sri Lankan Club in Manama - on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays - in addition to mobile consular services provided by diplomats from Kuwait.
“In some cases, this service is delayed as we have to plan according to the availability of these officials,” he explained.
Mr Higgoda has come in for criticism from members of the Migrant Workers Protection Society (MWPS), which on Sunday claimed he had failed to take proper action to help reunite a Sri Lankan citizen with his family after more than two decades of being stranded here.
“I knew about this case before the MWPS took it and had already notified the immigration authorities,” he responded.
He said the man in question, Panthiya Dewage Cyril, was mentally unstable and he was involved in the repatriation process.
“The MWPS arranged for his tickets and I thank them for their help, but to say that I was unaware of the case is not right as I completed the necessary formalities for his repatriation,” added Mr Higgoda.
He also urged members of the Sri Lankan community to contact him if they were facing difficulties.
“I am ready to meet anyone from the community,” he said. “I cannot be perfect, but am willing to assist our nationals.” – The Gulf Daily News
More than 14,000 Sri Lankans live in Bahrain, but Mr Higgoda is currently Colombo’s only diplomatic representative in Bahrain.
“Last week, I personally spoke with Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare Minister Dilan Perera who assured me they were positively setting up an embassy in Bahrain,” he told the GDN yesterday.
He added he had already discussed the issue with officials at Bahrain’s Labour Ministry and Foreign Affairs Ministry.
“It is agreed that a labour officer will be soon deployed in Bahrain to assist the community in the future,” he said.
Meanwhile, he acknowledged that members of the Sri Lankan community were growing increasingly frustrated at the lack of support they received from their government, which assigns diplomatic responsibility for Bahrain to its embassy in Kuwait.
“People have full right to complain and they have done against me at the Sri Lankan Embassy in Kuwait,” he said.
“But I ask all of them to understand that I am responsible for 14,000 Sri Lankans - including 4,000 domestic workers.
“I am doing my job with full sincerity without any differentiation and am ready to resolve their cases, some of which take time to address because of complications.”
The GDN reported on Wednesday that members of the Sri Lankan community in Bahrain planned to launch a petition demanding an embassy.
Mr Higgoda admitted that he was not always available to answer phone calls from members of the community, but said there were genuine reasons.
“There can certainly be times when I do not answer my phone as I am at the police station, hospital or at the immigration,” he said.
“All the members of the Sri Lankan community have my mobile number.”
He also acknowledged that some people might think their cases were being ignored, but Mr Higgoda said he had to address cases by priority.
“I have to prioritise all my cases depending on their seriousness and it is quite possible some people might feel they are being ignored,” said Mr Higgoda.
Another allegation by Sri Lankans who contacted the GDN was that it cost BD17.5 to courier documents and passports to the Sri Lankan Embassy in Kuwait for consular services, such as passport renewals.
However, Mr Higgoda flatly denied that was the case.
“This is inaccurate,” he said. “The courier charge is fixed at BD7.6 for the application to be sent to Kuwait and then back to Bahrain.”
People also complained of delays in such services and a lack of receipts, but Mr Higgoda said documents were often sent in bulk to save money - with savings passed on to the community.
“I am actually helping our nationals by saving their money, as they have to shell out more money if each application is sent via courier to our embassy in Kuwait,” he said.
“They demand receipts but this is not possible as we receive a single receipt from the courier company, but the amount is equally divided among the applicants.
“Some people object to this and claim this is unfair, but for every consular service such as passport renewal or issuance, applicants receives a receipt from the Sri Lankan Embassy in Kuwait.”
Mr Higgoda added he regularly met members of the Sri Lankan community at the Sri Lankan Club in Manama - on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays - in addition to mobile consular services provided by diplomats from Kuwait.
“In some cases, this service is delayed as we have to plan according to the availability of these officials,” he explained.
Mr Higgoda has come in for criticism from members of the Migrant Workers Protection Society (MWPS), which on Sunday claimed he had failed to take proper action to help reunite a Sri Lankan citizen with his family after more than two decades of being stranded here.
“I knew about this case before the MWPS took it and had already notified the immigration authorities,” he responded.
He said the man in question, Panthiya Dewage Cyril, was mentally unstable and he was involved in the repatriation process.
“The MWPS arranged for his tickets and I thank them for their help, but to say that I was unaware of the case is not right as I completed the necessary formalities for his repatriation,” added Mr Higgoda.
He also urged members of the Sri Lankan community to contact him if they were facing difficulties.
“I am ready to meet anyone from the community,” he said. “I cannot be perfect, but am willing to assist our nationals.” – The Gulf Daily News
