Sri Lanka confronts Russia over recruitment of citizens to Ukraine
Russia is recruiting citizens of many countries to fight in Ukraine. They are being enticed with false promises of high wages and benefits. The authorities in Colombo have decided to take action. Plans include sending a delegation to Moscow and returning citizens to the country.
The authorities in Sri Lanka have decided to tighten controls. This is all in connection with recruiting the country's citizens to fight in Ukraine. Russia is enticed by the Sri Lankans with false promises of high wages and benefits that have little to do with reality. In June, the authorities in Colombo plan to send a delegation to Moscow.
According to straitstimes.com, the delegation will take actions to "bring back dozens of Sri Lankans already fighting in the front line who want to come home."—Some of them are injured, said Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasuriya.
The problem is not only being faced by Sri Lanka but also by India and Nepal. They are raising alarms that Russia is recruiting men to fight in Ukraine, enticed by visas, high wages, and university spots.
The Russian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Levan S. Dzhagaryan, said at a press conference on May 30 that his embassy would cooperate to stop Sri Lankans from illegally travelling to Russia. He stated that his government was not involved in the recruitment offers.
Some people have taken loans to go and aren’t able to pay them back. They are facing many hardships and we want to find a way to bring them back—he added.
455 families filed complaints to the government. The scale of the problem may be even larger
The families of Sri Lankans who travelled to Russia have filed 455 complaints to the government in Colombo. Diplomatic representatives indicate that the number of people travelling to Ukraine to fight on Russia's side may be significantly more significant.
According to data from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at least 37 Sri Lankan citizens have been injured in Ukraine, and 16 are missing. Online recruitment campaigns were tempting for many, especially since Sri Lanka is trying to emerge from the worst financial crisis in over seven decades. Poverty rates have doubled compared to pre-pandemic levels.
