The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) confirmed that it would have to go through a recommendation process by three establishments when issuing visas for Sri Lankans who intend to seek employment in Israel, following the latest developments with the escalation of the war in the Gaza Strip. 

“Potential employees seeking employment in Israel should have to obtain clearance from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Sri Lankan Embassy in Israel and importantly from Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority (PIBA), which is the body in Israel responsible for foreign employment contracts. We need to obtain recommendations and clearance from these three entities to move forward with any visa process,” clarified Gamini Senerath Yapa, the spokesman for the Foreign Employment Bureau.

The SLFEB spokesman further revealed that it had received over 100 visa applications and in return have 15 approved visa files, but the local authorities are at cross-roads to grant permission without the recommendations of the three authorized establishments.