Sri Lanka moves forward with plan to deploy 10,000 workers to Israel

Sri Lanka's government is advancing plans to dispatch 10,000 workers to Israel as part of a labour migration initiative aimed at generating employment opportunities and foreign exchange earnings for the island nation.

The scheme represents a significant employment arrangement between Colombo and Tel Aviv, with authorities indicating their intention to move forward with the deployment despite ongoing concerns raised by various stakeholder groups within the country.

The labour export programme is expected to provide employment in various sectors within Israel, offering Sri Lankan workers access to overseas job opportunities. The initiative reflects Sri Lanka's continuing reliance on remittances from migrant workers as a vital source of foreign revenue amid the nation's economic challenges.

The government has indicated it will proceed with the arrangement through structured processes to ensure worker welfare and compliance with international labour standards. Officials have emphasised the potential economic benefits the scheme could deliver to participating workers and their families back in Sri Lanka.

Details regarding the timeline for deployment, sector-specific placements, and regulatory oversight mechanisms for worker protection have not been fully disclosed. The initiative comes as Sri Lanka continues to explore diverse labour export destinations to support its domestic economy.