Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment, Manusha Nanayakkara has warned of an alleged mafia group operating to impede people from coming to work in Israel through the government program, stating that they reportedly slandered the program to achieve their own goals.
Minister Nanayakkara reiterated that securing employment opportunities in Israel does not require paying money to third parties, and encouraged individuals to report any requests for payment to the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE).
The Minister made these remarks during a ceremony held at the Ministry on Monday (Feb 26) to distribute air tickets to a group of Sri Lankans departing for employment opportunities in Israel.
These job openings were the result of an agreement between the governments of Sri Lanka and Israel. During the event, air tickets were distributed for positions in both the agricultural sector and home-based caregiving.
Accordingly, a total of 39 individuals were selected for agricultural jobs, while 32 received tickets for home-based caregiving positions.
So far, 642 individuals have been selected for employment opportunities in the agricultural sector.
Additionally, 108 groups have departed for home-based caregiving positions, with 268 individuals leaving just this year.
Since the program’s inception, a total of 1102 people have departed for home-based caregiver jobs.
Minister Manusha Nanayakkara’s full statement at the event;
An alleged mafia group operated to impede people from coming to work in Israel through the government program. They reportedly slandered the program to achieve their own goals.
Those who take on foreign jobs become unofficial ambassadors, representing our nation. I urge all departing today to excel in their roles and contribute to creating more job opportunities for Sri Lankans.
I requested the Israeli government to refrain from hiring individuals residing in Israel illegally, and they agreed to my request.
Additionally, we will not hesitate to repatriate any Sri Lankans departing today who subsequently violate the laws of either country. To facilitate this, a dedicated program has been established in collaboration with Israeli security forces.
Securing employment opportunities in Israel does not involve paying money to any third party. If you have already paid such money, please report it discreetly to our officials. We will take appropriate legal action against individuals engaged in this practice.
Any migrant worker who is returning should consider becoming an entrepreneur and strive to be a person who creates new jobs.
The alleged mafia group in Israel falsely claimed that a group of Sri Lankan politicians had arrived and were ineligible to work, hindering efforts to send Sri Lankan workers. Despite these activities, we successfully reversed the situation and enabled the deployment of workers to the agricultural sector. (NewsWire)