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by Mohammed Rasooldeen in Riyadh

Some Sri Lankan expatriates who returned to Sri Lanka after their vacation have complained that the recently opened special lounge at the Colombo International Airport for Sri Lankan overseas' workers is a farce.

It is alleged that the lounge named 'Vigamanika Piyasa' (Migrant Workers Welfare Lounge), serves only as a waiting room for departing workers proceeding to their destinations from Colombo. Passengers arriving from Colombo said there were no services as announced by the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE). The SLBFE which set up the lounge for departing workers, said it will provide refreshments, newspapers and internet facilities.

A woman domestic worker registered with the SLBFE told Daily News that she did not even know the existence of such a lounge since there was no sign board to indicate the lounge's location.

Another registrant at the SLBFE, Fahim Anver who works for a law firm here said a receptionist received him at the lounge and made him sit inside the partition. After a long wait, when asked about refreshments, from the receptionist, he was told that he could be given a token so that he could go upstairs and have them at the cafe. He said that he was informed about the services too late since it was time for his flight. A Sri Lankan working for a foreign embassy here, who has also registered with the SLBFE, said there should be a notice board to inform visitors about facilities and services at the lounge for departing workers registered with the SLBFE.

The opening of the lounge came in the wake of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's initiative to assist Sri Lankan overseas workers who bring in large sums of money to the coffers. The overseas workers earn some $1,100 million worth of foreign exchange every year. According to reports, nearly 90 per cent of the Sri Lankan overseas workers are registered with the SLBFE. Some Sri Lankan maids said the SLBFE's arrangements at the arrival lounge for migrant workers are excellent.

The special desk for Sri Lankan foreign workers arriving at the Colombo International Airport to receive and assist them in arranging taxis to their homes is very good, they said. They also thanked the Colombo Airport authorities for providing telephone facilities free of charge for arriving passengers to call home on arrival at the airport.

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