Jordan remains a good place for Sri Lankans to work — ambassador

AMMAN — An agreement between the Health Ministry and the Sri Lankan embassy to facilitate the treatment of Sri Lankan workers in the country’s hospitals will be finalised soon, Gamini Rajapaksa, the Sri Lankan ambassador to Jordan, said on Sunday.

“We hope to conclude it very soon,” Rajapaksa added. 

There are between 55,000 and 60,000 Sri Lankans in Jordan working either as domestic helpers or in factories, he noted, stressing that having such an agreement in place is very helpful.

The diplomat said Jordan is a good place for Sri Lankans to work, and there have been no complaints from those working in factories, but a few from domestic helpers.

Some domestic helpers have filed complaints related to payments, as some employers do not pay the agreed upon salaries or they do not allow them a day off every week as stated in the agreement with the Ministry of Labour, Rajapaksa said.

The embassy’s guest house is currently hosting 70 runaway domestic helpers.

“We either solve the problem with their employers or send them back to Sri Lanka,” Rajapaksa said in an interview with The Jordan Times to mark his country’s 66th independence day celebrated annually on February 4.

The ambassador said his country’s relations with Jordan are distinguished in all fields, but more work is needed to boost economic cooperation.

He noted that Jordan exports phosphate to his country and imports Sri Lankan tea, without elaborating on the bilateral trade volume.

Meanwhile, he noted that Sri Lanka is a popular destination for Jordanian honeymooners due to its diverse landscape.

“Sri Lanka is a safe place for tourists, and we are currently improving the infrastructure... many five star hotels are being built to attract more tourists,” Rajapaksa said, adding that 100,000 visitors from across the world come to Sri Lanka annually and their numbers are on the rise.