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UAE: Over 40 women stranded in the Emirates without jobs to be repatriated
Airfare was a major challenge for these expats, but SriLankan Airlines came forward to expedite the repatriation process
More than 40 Sri Lankan female workers stranded in the UAE without a job are in the process of being repatriated. The Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Dubai and SriLankan Airlines came to the rescue of their compatriots by facilitating air tickets and travel documents for them.
These women were stranded in the UAE for different reasons. Some of them had come to the UAE on a visit visa, searching for greener pastures, but couldn't find a footing and their visas expired. In other cases, their employment visas expired, but they didn't return to their country.
The stranded workers are being flown from Dubai to Colombo in groups. The first group flew back to Sri Lanka last month.
"We saw no way out and felt hopeless, but then SriLankan Airlines and the Consulate General's Office in Dubai offered to help us, and I will forever be grateful to them. I am so happy to be in Sri Lanka again," said one of the expats who made it back to her home country.
Alexi Gunasekera, consul-general at the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Dubai, visited the house where the 42 women were stranded.
"It is our duty to find a solution to the challenges they have been facing in order to return to their motherland. The airfare was a major challenge and I thank SriLankan Airlines officials for expediting the repatriation of the workers. It is the highest level of social responsibility shown by our national carrier," Gunasekera said.
An official from the airline said the team remains steadfast in its "commitment to serving the nation and its people".
"We are honoured to collaborate with the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Dubai to provide a safe and highly affordable passage for our fellow Sri Lankans to reunite with their loved ones," said Shiran Kretser, area manager in UAE, SriLankan Airlines.
According to Global Media Insight, Sri Lankan nationals account for 3.17 per cent, or 0.32 million, of the UAE's 9 million-plus population. They are among the top 10 expat nationalities in the Emirates.
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