No decision to bring back mothers with children under five years

by Ananda Kannangara

The Government's decision to ban foreign employment for Sri Lankan females who have children under five years will be strictly enforced by the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) in the future.

"In support of the decision, we have decided to conduct an immediate survey on females with children under five years at present in foreign countries," Deputy General Manager (Foreign Relations) L. K. Ruhunage told the Sunday Observer. He, however, said the Bureau's statistics reveal that of the 800,000 females currently employed abroad, around 15 per cent are mothers of children under five years.

Asked whether these females will be brought back, Ruhunage said that no decision has so far been taken in this regard, since most of them had found employment as housemaids or similar job categories after signing official agreements with the Bureau.

"But we are confident that no females with children under five will be sent for overseas employments in future," he said.

He said that this law is applicable for housemaids, employees in Garment factories and others in similar job categories.

Meanwhile, a senior Bureau official, commending the Government's decision said that a large number of complaints were being received by the Bureau's head office at Battaramulla in regard to numerous hardships faced by small children, especially females whose mothers are employed abroad.