Hakeem appeals to Foreign Ministry to repatriate 160 Sri Lankans stranded in Chennai

Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Leader Rauff Hakeem yesterday appealed for the Foreign Relations Ministry to assist in making arrangements to repatriate 160 Sri Lankans currently stranded in Chennai.    

In a letter dated 28 April, Hakeem appealed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate speedy airlift of Sri Lankans stranded in Chennai, the SLMC media unit said in a statement. 

“In his letter to the Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ravinatha Aryasinha, he sought help to evacuate 160 Sri Lankans from all communities, stranded in Chennai, owing to COIVD-19 related sanctions of international travel and lockdown in effect in India,” the statement said. 

He appealed on the grounds that these Sri Lankan nationals are subject to much hardship and mental distress owing to their inability to return home for over many weeks on end.

Hakeem also entreated the other authorities concerned to consider carrying out similar successful measures in evacuating the Sri Lankans stranded in other countries, in the recent past.

His letter to the Foreign Secretary further stated, “We appreciate the efforts taken by the Government in evacuating many Sri Lankans deploying special charter flights and adopting stringent quarantine and sanitary measures in following due diligence course on the ground, for those arriving in the country.”