Posers on foreign employment

Much has been written about Rizana Nafeek’s brutal execution in Saudi Arabia for a crime that she did not commit in all probability. The legal and social aspects of the case have been analysed thoroughly in the media. In this column, I will not dwell on those issues, which have been covered elsewhere by those well versed in such matters. But I wish to share some thoughts on the whole issue of foreign employment and migration.

There is no doubt that our expatriates form the most important pillar of the economy with nearly US$ 6 billion in remittances annually. With more than 1.5 million Sri Lankans living and working abroad, not counting those domiciled abroad permanently, they are an asset we should be proud of. More Sri Lankans leave for foreign jobs every year, legally and illegally - an aspect I will touch on later.

The Government has acted prudently in raising the minimum age for women seeking foreign employment to 25 in the aftermath of Rizana’s execution. What happened in Rizana’s case is well known. Her employment agents falsified her age and got a passport made with a date of birth which enabled her to proceed to Saudi Arabia as an adult worker. Actually, she was only 17.

This could not have been the first time that employment agents had done this. The Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau and the Department of Immigration and Emigration should refine the process of scrutiny of applications.

It goes without saying that tough action should be taken against rogue employment agents which dupe job seekers as well as government agencies by providing false information.

A list of approved job agents (as well as blacklisted ones) should be published in the newspapers in all three languages, the same way the Central Bank publishes a list of approved banks and financial institutions.

The authorities should explore the possibility of sending only skilled workers, male or female.

Although training is given to prospective domestic workers on some aspects of their job, it does not seem to be sufficient. They should identify jobs available for skilled persons and try to direct more people towards them. More training opportunities should be provided for those willing to learn a new skill, say, welding or repairing cars.

Overcome

Language is another barrier that should be overcome. This was very evident in Rizana’s case because she could not speak Arabic and when an Arabic-Tamil translator was eventually provided, he did not prove to be equal to the task. If Rizana was at least partially proficient in Arabic, she could have defended herself and told her side of the story in a much better way, even though it may not have made a difference in the end given the deep flaws in the justice system there.

Learning the host country’s main language should be made compulsory for all foreign job applicants - for example for Saudi Arabia it should be Arabic and for Italy, Italian. Some countries insist that all job seekers should attain a proficient level in their language before ever setting foot on their soil - South Korea is a perfect example. Knowing the host country’s mother tongue can be a potential lifesaver. It makes day-to-day communication much easier, especially in countries where little or no English is spoken.

The overwhelming majority of foreign job seekers are women. The SLBFE and our missions abroad must negotiate more openings for our males in the Middle East and elsewhere. If we can send more skilled male workers and professionals such as engineers abroad, the country will earn more foreign exchange as they are better paid.

It will also resolve a number of social problems back home, because many children’s lives have been ruined by the absence of their mothers working abroad.

It is also time to end the over-reliance on the Middle East for foreign employment. Thanks to government-to-government agreements, more Sri Lankans have been able to secure jobs in ‘new’ countries such as Italy and South Korea. Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia are among other such employment destinations. Our authorities should explore job markets in many other developed and even emerging countries. The pay and facilities are much better in these countries and the legal systems too are more advanced than in the Middle East.

Resolve

If more jobs are secured in developed countries, the authorities will be able to resolve another issue at least to some extent: illegal migration. We have all seen the sorry plight of those trying to reach Australia and Italy illegally by boat.

If rich countries can open their employment markets to the developing world, at least for those jobs which may not be so appealing to the domestic population, it could go a long way towards addressing the illegal migration issue. Governments should work closely with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in this regard.

It is up to the Governments concerned to decide whether the employees can eventually apply for residency/citizenship or whether they should return home after a stipulated number of years.

Moreover, any new agreement signed with a host country must include built-in safeguards for protecting our citizens in any eventuality including harassment by employers, non-payment of salaries, denial of rights and arbitrary arrest and court cases.

The employees at all times must obey the laws of the country they are in and conduct themselves with dignity.

Having said that, there should be a mechanism to provide immediate assistance to any Sri Lankan worker facing legal or other difficulties in a foreign land.

It is also time we examine why people want to go abroad for employment in the first place.

The prime reason is poverty. This is where programs such as Divi Neguma and Samurdhi come in. Poverty alleviation should be a priority, along with employment generation.

If poverty can be drastically reduced and more better paying jobs/self-employment ventures can be generated here, it might deter at least a few of those aspiring to go abroad for employment.

With Sri Lanka on the way to becoming a US$ 4,000 per capita GDP nation, that is the correct path to take.