Thirty-four (34) Sri Lankans who have been victims of human trafficking remain to be rescued from Myanmar, State Minister of Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasuriya said.
The minister revealed this during a media briefing held today on the recent release of 20 Sri Lankans from illegal camps in Myanmar, who are currently in Thailand.
“The rescued students are in good health condition, although they will have to be sent for counselling,” Balasuriya said, adding that he has spoken to them over a video call.
Sri Lankan authorities are working to repatriate this group to Sri Lanka as soon as possible, he said.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Thailand Wijayanthi Edirisinghe said they will be screened first by Thai authorities and are currently under the care of immigration authorities of the country.
The group of Sri Lankans are expected to go through a stringent process involving the Thai Immigration, Ministry of Social Development and Human Security as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she said.
The Sri Lankan Ambassador to Thailand said that the time frame for this process is not clear yet, adding that the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is assisting Sri Lanka in this regard.
