The Hon. Arun Hemachandra – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment
The Deputy Minister provided annual figures for Sri Lankan workers who departed for agricultural employment in Israel from 2015 to 2025, noting a sharp increase under the 2023 bilateral agreement, with 3,793 departures recorded in 2025 to date. He explained that recruitment operates through seasonal placements and the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau under the agreement, with eligibility criteria and selection conducted by Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority through a lottery. He stated that demand had fallen after many 2023 recruits left their workplaces due to insufficient agricultural skills, but discussions with Israeli authorities are ongoing; a January 2025 Israeli delegation selected 95 workers, of whom 20 have departed and 4 more are scheduled to leave on 28 May 2025.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Question No. 6 – 634/2025 – Agriculture Sector Job Opportunities in Israel: Details.
¶ 02 (a) From 2015 to date, the number of Sri Lankan workers registered with the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau and departed for agriculture sector work in Israel is as follows: 2015: 1 2016: 156 2017: 153 2018: 434 2019: 8 2020: 0 2021: 0 2022: 1 2023: 357 2024: 2,069 2025 (to date): 3,793
¶ 03 (ii) Two channels have operated: 1. Since 2015, seasonal workers via the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Agency. 2. Under the bilateral agreement signed between the Governments of Sri Lanka and Israel on 2023.11.05, the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau (SLBFE) commenced direct departures from December 2023.
¶ 04 Eligibility under the agreement: - Age 25–40 - Completion of 10 years of schooling - Considerable experience in the agriculture sector - No prior employment in Israel - If married, spouse must not have previously worked or resided in Israel - Clean police report - Physically and mentally fit
¶ 05 Applications received islandwide were digitized and name lists sent by the Ministry of Labour and Foreign Employment to the SLBFE, which forwarded them to Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority (PIBA). PIBA then selected workers via a lottery mechanism.
¶ 06 (iii) Under the 2023 agreement, successful applicants receive long-stay visas for three months’ work. However, in the 2023 intake, many recruits absconded from workplaces due to insufficient skills for agricultural tasks. Consequently, Israeli employers have shown reluctance to recruit Sri Lankans in this sector, and current demand has dropped significantly. The SLBFE is in discussion with PIBA to re-establish opportunities.
¶ 07 In January 2025, an Israeli delegation conducted interviews at the SLBFE and selected 95 workers; 20 have already departed, and another 4 are scheduled to depart on 2025.05.28.
¶ 08 (b) Does not arise.
Provenance
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- Hansard, Wednesday, 21 May 2025 ·No. 1749121318003248 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. Arun Hemachandra – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 21 May 2025. No. 1749121318003248. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/8086