Considering the current conflict, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Israel, Nimal Bandara, stated that the Sri Lankan Embassy is prepared to facilitate the departure of Sri Lankan nationals employed in Israel at any time.

The Ambassador mentioned that yesterday (19), arrangements were made for four individuals to return to Sri Lanka. He also confirmed that the Embassy will remain open today (20) and tomorrow (21), despite these being public holidays in Israel.

Ambassador Bandara further elaborated:

“We’ve been informed by the Israeli authorities that if anyone’s visa has expired since June 14, when the war began, they will be permitted to enter the country again once international flights resume. Airlines will be notified to issue tickets even for those with expired visas. Therefore, they have the ability to return. Those currently in Sri Lanka should not harbour unnecessary fears about returning to Sri Lanka. Yesterday (June 19), four Sri Lankan nationals came to the Embassy seeking to return. We informed our Sri Lankan Embassy in Cairo about this and requested permission for them to cross the borders. We anticipate more Sri Lankan nationals will wish to return to Sri Lanka in the coming days. As Ambassador, I am ready to assist all of them. To help these individuals, we’ve kept the Embassy open today and tomorrow, even though they are holidays in Israel.”