Sri Lankan Ambassador V. Krishnamoorthy said here Sunday that almost all qualified runaway workers falling under the jurisdiction of his mission and the consulate in Jeddah have obtained their exit permits.

He told Arab News that the majority of Sri Lankan expatriates are taking advantage of concessions and leaving the Kingdom or legalizing their jobs. They are not experiencing any difficulty, he said.

The ambassador said that the consulate in Jeddah is rendering all possible assistance to stranded workers.

“The unqualified workers are those who ran away following the announcement of general amnesty, whose case should be handled by Labor Court or governorate or any other relevant Saudi institution,” he said.

However, Krishnamoorthy added there are a few Sri Lankans whose fingerprinting records are not available and such cases are already referred to the respective authorities for their appropriate action.

Responding to an Arab News report on Sunday about Sri Lankans languishing under the Sharafiya bridge in Jeddah, he said: “Our consulate in Jeddah dispatched two officers immediately to the deportation camp area near the Sharafiya bridge to find out the authenticity of the facts. There are 35 illegal Sri Lankans, who are not qualified for general amnesty, residing in the area under the Sharafiya bridge; they include violators of Haj and Umrah visa, they do not possess original passports, iqama or fingerprinting records.”

On several occasions, he said, the consulate officials in Jeddah clearly advised them that they do not fall under the current amnesty and discussions are under way with the Saudi authorities to find a suitable solution.

Krishnamoorthy pointed out that there are more than 400,000 Sri Lankans in the Kingdom abiding by the Saudi law and regulations and enjoying the protection of the Saudi government.

“Sri Lankans are one of the preferred expatriate communities due to their law-abiding and peace-loving nature,” he said.