A majority of Sri Lankan nationals are employed in the state of Johor in Malaysia. With the amnesty declared by the Government of Malaysia ending on 31 December, 2021, some Sri Lankan “overstayers” were urgently in need of Non-Machine-Readable Passports to return to Sri Lanka. If Sri Lankan migrant workers fail to regularize their visa status before the end of the amnesty period, they will automatically fall into the category of those who have violated immigration laws of the country, and would be subject to apprehension, judicial process and subsequent deportation.
Although Malaysia, which was under stringent movement restrictions for nearly two years, recently switched to gradually lifting restrictions on movement, most of the companies in Johor continued to demand workers to be quarantined on return if they travelled outside the state to Kuala Lumpur, utilizing public transport services. Hence, migrant workers have had difficulties in gaining Consular Services at the Chancery premises. In order to alleviate the difficulties and inconveniences faced by Sri Lankan migrant workers, the High Commission conducted Mobile Consular Services at five different locations in the state of Johor, enabling these workers to gain Consular Services without violating health guidelines or pandemic restrictions in Malaysia.
Around 300 Sri Lankans benefited from the facilities offered by the Consular Mobile Services. Many more utilized this opportunity to obtain advice on procedural and personal matters. Also, several Sri Lankans took this opportunity to submit passport applications, renew their registrations with the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE), authenticate documents etc.
Officials of the Embassy of Sri Lanka also held discussions with representatives from Human Resource Departments of several companies employing Sri Lankan workers and were able to resolve a number of workplace issues and disputes faced by Sri Lankan migrant workers. Moreover, during the discussions held with owners and relevant officials of the factories based in Johor, High Commission officials were able to obtain assurance on the allocation of more job opportunities for Sri Lankans, especially in the apparel and garment sector, in 2022.
Since Sri Lankan workers face language barriers when receiving services from local doctors, many were suffering from various ailments without proper treatment. In order to address this issue, the Mission organized medical camps alongside the Mobile Consular Services. A Sri Lankan doctor working in Malaysia teamed up with the Mission in this endeavor, offering his services pro-bono. The medical camp became a huge success and many were grateful for the extended facilitation as consultancy as well as medicines were given on gratis basis.
High Commission of Sri Lanka
Kuala Lumpur
20 December, 2021
