Sri Lanka has initiated a coordinated employment program to send 10,000 workers to Israel during 2026, with positions primarily in construction and infrastructure sectors, according to the Foreign Affairs Minister.

Sri Lanka's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment has announced plans to deploy 10,000 workers to Israel throughout 2026 as part of a structured employment initiative. Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath made the announcement while processing travel documents for an initial batch of 164 workers bound for positions in the construction and infrastructure sectors.

According to Minister Herath, the deployment program is progressing in phases. As of the announcement date, 2,500 Sri Lankan workers had already secured positions in Israel earlier in the year. The ministry has identified job opportunities for an additional 6,500 workers, with expectations that a newly emerging sector will generate approximately 1,000 further positions, collectively reaching the 10,000-worker target.

The minister emphasized that the employment scheme operates through official channels via the Foreign Employment Bureau, enabling Sri Lankan workers to access overseas job opportunities with reduced costs and enhanced security. He characterized the initiative as transparent and systematic, positioning it as a means to facilitate Sri Lankans' aspirations for foreign employment through regulated government mechanisms rather than potentially unreliable private channels.