Forum to help Lankan migrant workers

by Mohammed Naalir

The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) has taken steps to set up a national forum to look into the well-being of Sri Lankan migrant workers on a directive of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare Minister Dilan Perera, SLBFE Chairman Amal Senadilankara said.

He said that the forum would be helpful in identifying the needs of the families of migrant workers including the education of children and other welfare measures.

The Forum will also provide guidelines for people to launch self-employment projects on their return to the country.

The SLBFE has taken steps to provide houses to migrant workers who become disabled at their workplaces. The program will be expedited in the future, Senadilankara said.

As envisioned in the Mahinda Chinthana, houses will be given to all migrant workers who become disabled at their workplaces, the chairman said.

He said that the Bureau has taken every step to ensure the well-being of Sri Lankan migrant workers. The SLBFE provided a house to Tilakaratne Ravindra of Rathgama, Imbulgoda last week. He was also given Rs. 200,000 compensation.

Ravindra, who had been driving containers in Doha, Qatar met with an accident in 2007 and became disabled, he said.