SL – Oman discuss recruitment process of migrant workers

Streamlining the recruitment process of migrant workers from Sri Lanka (SL) and preventing human trafficking was focused on during the fourth Sri Lanka – Oman Joint Technical Committee on Labour and Training recently, the Foreign Ministry said yesterday. 

The fourth Technical Committee Meeting under the MoU in the Field of Labour and Training between SL and the Sultanate of Oman was held on 23 December via video conferencing.

The fourth Joint Technical Committee Meeting reviewed the decisions arrived at the third Joint Technical Committee Meeting held in Colombo on 3 July 2018. While taking stock of the progress made after the third meeting, including the streamlining of recruitment process of the Sri Lankan female domestic workers to Oman as well as preventing human trafficking, both sides explored ways and means to further enhance cooperation in the field of labour and the promotion of employment in the areas of mutual interests, especially in the wake of COVID-19. 

Both sides hailed the implementation of the issuance of the No Objection Certificate (NOC) introduced by the SL Embassy – Muscat as a prerequisite to obtain employment visa for the SL female domestic workers, as an initiative to curb irregular and undocumented migration.

SL extended their sincere appreciation to Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and the Government of the Sultanate of Oman for the announcement of ‘amnesty’ for the SL workers who have overstayed with expired work permits in order to return home without paying a fine.

SL and the Sultanate of Oman signed an MOU in the Field of Labour and Training in 2014 with a view to promoting cooperation for the mutual benefits in the areas of labour and training.

SL was represented by Additional Secretary Yamuna Perera and Ministry of Foreign Employment Promotion and Market Diversification of Sri Lanka Senior Assistant Secretary of the State K. Nikerilkanth, Additional General Manager – International Affairs W.M.V. Wansekara and Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment Deputy General Manager – Foreign Relations K.L.H.K. Wijeratne.

Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Sultanate of Oman Ameer Ajwad participated from the Embassy of Sri Lanka – Muscat. Counsellor – Employment and Welfare Renuka Senarathne and First Secretary of the Embassy W.D.N.M. Abeysekara were also present during the Meeting.

Oman was represented by General Directorate of Labour Welfare Director General Salem Saeed Al Badi, Joint Inspection Team Department Director Obaid Bin Muhammad Al Balushi, International Organisations and Foreign Relations Department Deputy Director Nasser Salim Al Hadhrami and International Organisations and Foreign Relations Department Head of Foreign Relations Saif Hamood Al Raqadi and International Organisations and Foreign Relations Department of the Ministry of Labour of the Sultanate of Oman Omran Said Albaqlani.