"Sri Lanka Migrant Workers Protesting in Jordan Teargassed" South Assia Monitor 28 July 2020

Jordanian security forces have fired tear gas to disperse a group of protesting Sri Lankan migrant workers who had lost their jobs due to the Corona epidemic and stranded in Jordan and wanted to be repatriated, local media reported citing Sri Lankan embassy sources.

Sources at the Sri Lankan Embassy in Jordan have said that when a group of Sri Lankan embassy officials visited the Alcara Camelwega industrial estate to discuss with them, nearly 340 Sri Lankan workers surrounded the officials and protested, saying there was no definite solution to the problem.

The Jordanian police used tear gas to control the unrest that had taken place after one of the diplomats had been placed under house arrest by the protesters.

The Protesting workers say they have not been paid properly for five months and they only receive two meals per day. Therefore, they request the Sri Lankan government to bring them back to the island as soon as possible.