Govt. to control unskilled labor migrations [November 28 2013]

Efforts are underway to restrict the number of unskilled employees leaving Sri Lanka for foreign employment to 25% within the coming months through skills enhancing programs targeting female migrant workers, Minister of Foreign Employment Promotion & Welfare Dilan Perera said.

The country saw a drop in the number of unskilled workers employed overseas from 52% in 2012 to 40% in 2013. The Minister made these observations when he addressed the 103rd Session of the Council of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Tuesday in Geneva.

He said the IOM has been a pillar of strength supporting Sri Lankas efforts to give migrant workers employment with dignity. The Minister also said they did not expect to place barriers on female workers instead intended to train them and strengthen their capacity.

Sri Lanka recently assumed the Chairmanship of the Colombo Process - the Regional Consultative Process on migration.

Minister Perera said Sri Lanka intended to share his countrys experience and bring together the eleven countries and nine observer countries of this group to address common interests, including the mismatches between supply and demand and applying ethical concepts to foreign employment management.

He said Sri Lanka will also play its full part in developing the post 2015 Millennium Goal development architecture emphasizing on Migration and Development.