Libyan crisis:

SOS to get down Lankans

Chaminda Perera

*Contact made with authorities

*India’s help sought

Measures taken

* Government to repatriate 500 Lankans

* Charter flights to be arranged

* Indian ship already left to Benghazi

The Government has taken measures to ensure the repatriation of over 500 Sri Lankans stranded in Tripoli, Benghazi and Sirt within this week as the situation in Tripoli is reportedly worsening day by day.

According to a Foreign Ministry senior official who wished to remain anonymous, a charter flight would be arranged to bring more than 350 Sri Lankans stranded in Tripoli soon.

These Sri Lankans sought the Government’s assistance to return to the country through the Sri Lankan mission in Tripoli. He said that the Ministry officials in Tripoli and Sri Lanka are in the process of repatriating these Sri Lankans. The official said the process would take a few days as they have to look into all aspects.

We are discussing this with the Libyan authorities and asked their cooperation to facilitate the repatriation process.

These Lankans should be issued emergency cards he added.

The Government has also sought the Indian Government’s assistance to repatriate 111 Lankan expatriate workers stranded in Benghazi too.

It was reported that an Indian ship has already left for Benghazi to rescue stranded Indians and Sri Lanka has asked the Indian authorities to take over the 111 stranded Sri Lankans too.

He added that more than 25 Lankans have fled to Cyprus and another group of Lankans have left for Malta. The Governments of Cyprus and Malta have provided accommodation to them and the Sri Lankan mission in Rome is making arrangements to ensure their return to Sri Lanka.

The two officials from the Rome mission have already left for Malta to look into the welfare of Sri Lankans and they would be repatriated to the country soon.

Meanwhile, a senior official of the Foreign Ministry who wished to remark anonymous yesterday told the Daily News that 16 stranded Sri Lankan expatriate workers who crossed the Greece border are reported missing. He said the Greece authorities have arrested five Lankans and the rest were absconding.