Foreign employment has become one of our major incomes. As the government, we are responsible to look at how the selections for employments are made, how our migrant workers get themselves registered and find employment, and most importantly what happens when they return, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said
Sri Lanka focuses on social protection and welfare of its foreign employees as a key pointer in promoting migrant employments in the country, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said.
Migrant employment is one economic arrangement to determine a better life standard in Sri Lankan society. It partly has paved way to extend the middle class of the country, the Prime Minister said.
The Prime Minister was speaking at the 4th Ministerial Consultation of the Abu Dhabi Dialogue (ADD) held yesterday at Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel, Colombo. The ADD is a mechanism that strengthen the network of cooperation related to the foreign employment.
Wickremesinghe said the very reason Sri Lanka has a separate ministry to handle foreign employment promotion and welfare is because migrant employment is a pillar in Sri Lanka's economic success, especially with regard to foreign exchange.
The Prime Minister said several key issues are related to foreign employments when they come to Sri Lanka.
“First, how are we to treat the migrant workers who contributed much to the foreign exchange of Sri Lanka on their return. Secondly, in what ways are we looking into the issue of their families,” he said.
The Premier said the government was concerned over the social cost for some of the families whose members have migrated for work.
“When both parent migrate for work, who are going to take care of their children and the rest of their family?” he questioned.
Wickremesinghe said that more than any other issues regarding to migrant employments, the fact that most of the Sri Lankan migrant workers being females, is something that the government has to pay much concern to.
“How do we safeguard these women, is the enormous issue we have. A forum such as the ADD that gathers all stakeholders in foreign employment should address grave questions as these,” he said.
Wickremesinghe said Sri Lanka is not only a beneficiary but also a benefactor of foreign employments.
Thus, the Sri Lankan government is also concerned on a social effort designed to hand out ownership of land to the plantation community, which is an extension of early migrant workers’ settlements in Sri Lanka, he said.
The Prime Minister said Sri Lanka is the only country which was able to have an amicable settlement with the migrant workers brought in for plantation work in the colonial time.
“Sri Lanka gave these migrant workers citizenship. We have taken over all the welfare services, and we are now engaged in other issues faced by this community. The government has encouraged them to work in sectors other than in plantation,” he said.
The government is now promoting science education in the plantation community, so that they will be able to find work in different sectors, the Prime Minister said.
“With the Plantation and Community Housing Minister, the government is now going to ensure that we provide seven perch of land to every family of the plantation community,” Wickremesinghe said.
Sri Lanka is looking forward to exploit the Asia centered rapid development to become an economic hub of the Indian ocean, the Premier said.
“Sri Lanka will become a center for logistics, business, and we ourselves are developing our own corridors for economic development. In this goal, foreign employment is a pillar,” he said.
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