UN Migration, has facilitated the safe and voluntary repatriation of 53 Sri Lankan migrant workers from Lebanon, pursuant to an official request made by the Government of Sri Lanka due to the ongoing conflict in the region. 

Issuing a statement, the IOM said four groups of stranded migrants in extremely vulnerable situations were repatriated on 6, 12, and 28 November and most recently 04 December 2024.

The IOM further said that the repatriations were conducted in close coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism Sri Lanka, the Sri Lankan Embassy in Lebanon, and IOM Lebanon.

IOM said its missions in Sri Lanka and Lebanon worked closely to provide comprehensive assistance to the migrants. This included conducting vulnerability screenings, consular assistance and documentation support, organizing travel, offering pre-departure counselling, conducting pre-departure medical evaluations and managing logistics related to voluntary repatriation. Urgent medical needs were also addressed upon migrants’ return to Sri Lanka.

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