By Sri Lanka has announced plans to send 20,000 workers to Israel to work in the agriculture and construction sectors. The move comes as Sri Lanka grapples with a severe economic crisis, which has led to a sharp increase in the number of people migrating overseas for work.
Israel has been a popular destination for Sri Lankan workers in recent years, and there are currently around 9,000 Sri Lankans working in the country. The new agreement will allow for an additional 10,000 workers to be sent to Israel, with the possibility of sending even more in the future.
The Sri Lankan government has said that the workers’ security will be considered and that they will be provided with training and support before they are deployed to Israel. The government has also said that the workers will be paid a fair wage and that their remittances will help to boost Sri Lanka’s economy.
However, some have criticized the Sri Lankan government’s decision to send workers to Israel, arguing that it is insensitive to do so given the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. They have also expressed concerns about the workers’ safety, given the history of violence in the region.
Rauff Hakeem, a former minister and current MP in Sri Lanka, has strongly opposed the government’s plan to send 10,000 workers to Israel. He called the move “insensitive” and akin to sending workers to Nazi Germany during the Holocaust.
Hakeem also raised concerns about the safety of Sri Lankan workers in Israel, given the country’s ongoing conflict with the Palestinians. He pointed to the fact that Sri Lankan workers who were sent to Israel in the past were given military training, suggesting that they may be placed in dangerous situations.
In addition to his concerns about the workers’ safety, Hakeem also expressed concerns about the potential impact on Sri Lanka’s relationship with Arab countries. He noted that many Arab countries provide jobs to Sri Lankan workers and that sending workers to Israel could jeopardize these relationships.
Despite these concerns, the Sri Lankan government has defended its decision, saying that it is necessary to create employment opportunities for Sri Lankans in the face of the economic crisis. The government has also said that the workers will be well-protected and that their contributions will be valuable to Sri Lanka’s economy.
