Daily Mirror has learned that the recruitment of Sri Lankans for approximately 1000 job opportunities in Israel has been surrounded by controversy due to a lack of transparency in the selection process. The Sri Lankan mission in Tel Aviv has been instructed not to make any public statements regarding the employment slots in the agriculture sector of Israel. The government to government contract ensures that selected youth will not be required to pay anything beyond the approved fees. However, there have been reports of political agents charging extra fees for selecting individuals for these job opportunities. According to a source familiar with the process, the approved rates are around Rs.300,000, and therefore, charging extra fees is unnecessary. Additionally, South Korean authorities are also concerned about corruption in the selection process for employees to be sent under the quota offered to Sri Lanka. Job seekers are being charged exorbitant fees by selected agencies, making it difficult for many to secure employment. Despite several attempts, Foreign Employment Promotion Minister Manusha Nanayakkara has not provided any comments on the matter.
