Sri Lankans told to seek mission help

Expatriate Sri Lankans should approach their mission directly during working hours rather than get trapped by self-styled social workers, warned Bandula Somasiri, the Sri Lankan Consul General.

According to Somasiri, there have been instances when these self-proclaimed social workers had misled labourers in the name of sorting out their complaints.

"I do not say that there has never been a case when labourers get into heated arguments with the mission officials. But then we try to explain things to them and the issue, whatever it may be, gets resolved in no time," he said.

Pointing out that these self-styled social workers have quite an established network which extends to Sri Lanka, Somasiri said: "No sooner do they get to know that there lurks a labour problem, than they take advantage of it and pressure the poor labourers, who are already in distress.

"I recollect an unfortunate incident which took place right in front of our consulate at night. Two young Sri Lankan workers were asked to stage a protest in front of the Consulate gates. Being new to the UAE, the two were easily taken in by the provocative words of a self-styled social worker.

"The police found the workers sleeping outside the consulate gates just on a cardboard sheet with a pack of food placed next to them. The police asked them to move on. They were lucky not to get arrested. I was informed of the matter and the next day we tried to resolve it. The nature of the case was actually very simple," he said.

As a counter-measure, the mission has deputed officials on an hourly basis to keep a watch at the consulate in case some workers show up.

"I have asked my officials to run a check on an hourly basis until midnight, so that we would be able to tackle the situation before it gets out of hand," he said.

Somasiri said that at times there is a misunderstanding by the community that the consulate provides shelter for labourers who have no place to go.

"We do not have the space to accommodate even five stranded workers. But we do arrange for their lodgings elsewhere until their case is finalised and they are sent back home. We also arrange food and tickets for them. They do not have to pay anything from their own pocket. When urgency requires, we seek assistance from Colombo.

"For example, recently I was informed by Dubai Police of two Sri Lankan women with a problem. They were immediately brought to the consulate and, after finalising their paperwork, sent back to Sri Lanka.

"I urge our community members to come straight to the mission officials and not fall prey to the sweet-talking, self-styled social workers. The mission has been opened to help the community," he stressed.