Dozens of Sri Lankans stranded at Bucharest Airport

Dozens of Sri Lankans who worked at a textile factory at Botosani in Romania, were stranded at the Bucharest Airport on Sunday evening since there was no flight to return to Sri Lanka, Romania Insider reported.

The Sri Lankans were transported to Bucharest’s main airport on Sunday as they were told they would be repatriated but there was no flight scheduled for them, so they were left stranded at the airport for several hours, Romania Insider reported quoting Digi24.

The Sri Lankan citizens worked at a textile factory in Botosani.

At some point, one of them got infected with COVID-19 and all of them were placed under institutionalized quarantine for three weeks. Meanwhile, they were told they could go back to their home country as they were all fired.

Two buses transported the 36 Sri Lankan workers to Bucharest’s main airport in Otopeni on Sunday.

However, as Sri Lanka’s airports are closed, no commercial aircraft are flying to Sri Lanka.

There was no repatriation flight scheduled for the Sri Lankan workers. Thus, they remained at the airport for several hours.

The news report said it is yet unclear who has told the workers that they could return to their home country.

According to the media, the transport to the airport was organized by the Botosani Prefecture.

Labor minister Violeta Alexandru went to the airport to check the situation and find solutions for the 36 confused workers.

She said she would verify their departure from Botosani, as well as the reasons for which they were fired, according to Digi24.

The 36 workers were eventually accommodated at a hotel near the airport.