(COLOMBO) – A contingent of Sri Lankan workers that took up employment in Israel’s agriculture sector are seeking alternatives job placements alleging harsh working conditions and poor housing facilities, local media reports said on Friday.
Several workers have reportedly approached the Sri Lankan mission in Tel Aviv, exploring the possibility of switching to different job sectors.
Some of the workers sent to Israel to work on the agriculture farmers are those who were holding white collar jobs in Sri Lanka and have no experience whatsoever in farming but was lured to the Jewish State owing to the high salaries that were on offer.
However, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Employment Promotion Minister Manusha Nanayakkara accused detractors, including Sri Lankan residents opposed to the government’s worker deployment program, of spreading misinformation. The Minister asserted that workers were sent successfully, and assistance was provided to those seeking job changes.
Israel’s recruitment drive for foreign labourers was prompted by the deportation of thousands of Palestinian workers after the Hamas’ attack on October 7, last year. It led to opportunities for workers from countries like India and Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka which seized the opportunity sent workers to Israel to work both in the construction and agriculture industries.
