The government is prepared to genuinely treat the migrant workers who earn and send foreign exchange through genuine means, said Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment Manusha Nanayakkara.
He was addressing the opening ceremony of the ‘HopeGate’, the latest VIP lounge for migrant workers at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) on Thursday (1).
The new lounge is dedicated to facilitate the Sri Lankan migrant workers who are leaving and arriving in the country for and after employment. The migrant workers will be provided with all the facilities at this lounge which is operated through specially trained staff for the convenience of the migrant workers. According to the minister, this lounge is considered as the golden gate of hope to build the country’s future.
He said the migrant workers leaving and arriving in their motherland should not experience third class hospitality inside the airport or on board the flight. The culture which deprived them of proper recognition and hospitality needs to be changed.
“When the migrant workers are capable of uplifting their living conditions, it directly helps to build the country’s economy. For that, they need to fulfill their hopes first. We have named this lounge a Hope Gate as it opens up avenues for the Sri Lankans to fulfill their hopes.”
Apart from this recognition given to them at the airport, several other programs will also be implemented in order to provide the migrant workers with more facilities in the coming months, the minister said. All these facilities will be available only to those who have registered with the Foreign Employment Bureau, he further said.
Minister of Ports, Shipping and Aviation Services Nimal Siripala De Silva also participated on this occasion.
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