Foreign Employment Minister Manusha Nanayakkara told Parliament yesterday that Cabinet approval was obtained to carry out investigations on the 154 women who are currently in welfare centres in Oman and UAE and bring them to Sri Lanka.
Some of them have on tourist visas while others have gone after registering with the Foreign Employment Bureau to Oman and the United Arab Emirates.
The Minister said that there are 77 people at welfare centers in Oman including 12 people who went to Oman after registering with the Foreign Employment Bureau, and other 65 people who left the country on tourists visas by deceving officials at the BIA and gone for other work.
The Miniister said that 77 people are in Dubai, including 70 people who went to the state of Dubai after registering with the Foreign Employment Bureau and seven people who went on tourist visas.
Since the Foreign Emplyment Ministry is unable to spend for those who have not gone abroad for foreign employment, special Cabinet approval was obtained in this regard. Minister Manusha Nanayakkara mentioned this while making a special statement in Parliament yesterday.
The employers of UAE and Oman are directing people who come with tourist visas to their workplaces and then turning those visas into work visaa due to the relaxation of visas for hiring employees in those countries.
However, some traffickers have recruited these people for domestic services using tourist visas. So they are stranded in those countries or other destinations. They have to undergo Various difficulties.” Perticular Embassies have also found it difficult to find a responsible recruitment agency or intermediaries in order to bring such women back to Sri Lanka. It has been revealed that these women have been hired by middlemen charging huge fees. In some cases, there are cases where they have taken from one country to another across borders.
Requests have been made to the Sri Lankan Foreign Employment Bureau through the Sri Lankan Missions regarding the people who are staying in Oman and United Arab Emirates security homes.. Problematic situations arise regarding bringing women who have left Sri Lanka on tourist visas, giving false facts back to Sri Lanka. One has to pay a huge sum of five Omani Rials for each day if they have overstayed visa. Accordingly, arrangements were made to stop sending women to work in these countries through tourist visas. That was about a month ago. Also, self-employment registration was stopped. Investigations were increased to take legal measures against women traveling abroad on tourist visas. The foreign employment bureau is working according to the foreign employment bureau act to identify the people who send women abroad for work through tourist visa. So far, 190 incidents have been reported to the court and a large number of people have been arrested. This year, 25 places have been successfully raided. The police have also arrested many suspects. A person who sent women to work on tourist visas on a large scale was arrested the day before yesterday. At present,, the Criminal Investigation Department has obtained statements from the inmates in the safe houses, and they are working to find out who sent them and who had become brokers and take legal action. Also, a program is being implemented together with the Ministry of Public Security to tighten legal measures against these types of scammers. Also, we are working with the Minister of Foreign Affairs in this regard. We give licences to foreign employment agencies only after a strict procedure and pre-inspection. That is why the issuing of licences has been temporarily stopped. Also, we are working to create awareness among the public not to leave for work on tourist visas.
There is an allegation regarding a person working at the Embassy in Oman. We have suspended him from work and have arranged to bring him to Sri Lanka. When he comes to Sri Lanka, he will be arrested and investigated. An accusation has been made against him. We enforce the law regardless of rank. Whoever that officer is, we have implemented the law. According to a request made by the Foreign Employment Bureau to the President, an inspection team went to that country two months ago.
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