Jordan to release jailed Lankans

Rohan Mathes

JORDAN: Sri Lankan expatriate workers detained in Jordan will be released and repatriated soon following a request made by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to King Abdullah Al Hussein of Jordan in Amman, President's Media sources said.

Out of a Sri Lankan expatriate working community of around 65,000, 45,000 are believed to be serving as housemaids in Jordan.

Due to their lack of knowledge on the law of the land and local immigration and emigration regulations, some workers have been nabbed on various charges and detained by the authorities.

Sixty five persons who were unable to pay a fine of around 960 Jordanian Dinars (approximately Rs.150,000) have been stranded in Jordan.

On a special request of President Rajapaksa, the Royal Jordanian Government has granted an amnesty period during which these detainees could go back to Sri Lanka without paying the fine, President's Media sources said.

Meanwhile, President Rajapaksa toured the historic city of Petra on Sunday.

The President and his delegation toured the historic city of Petra in which the 'Silk-Route' fame traders of the by-gone era, sought refuge during transit, when travelling to China. Petra is famous for its cultural and archaeological ruins, dating back 2000 years. It is also a famous tourist attraction