IPS conference on ‘Policies for mainstreaming migration into development in SL’

Saturday, 16 August 2014 00:14 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

With the theme of maximising the benefit of Sri Lanka’s international labour migration while protecting the welfare of migrants and their families, the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka (IPS) hosted ‘Policies for Mainstreaming Migration into Development in Sri Lanka’, yesterday at the IPS Auditorium. The conference which is part of a research and policy advocacy project ‘Meeting the Development Challenges of Migration’, which aims to strengthen the capacity and quality of research work on migration, was funded by the Think Tank Initiative.

Copy of the publication – Labour Migration in Sri Lanka; Select Annotated Bibliography was handed over to Dilan Perera by IPS Chairman Prof. W.D. Lakshman

Minister of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare Dilan Perera graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. Mahinda Madihahewa, Secretary, Senior Minister’s Secretariat, and Nissanka Wijeratne, Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare, were also present at the occasion. Delivering the welcome address of the event, IPS Executive Director Dr. Saman Kelegama noted, “There is much scope for Sri Lanka to grow in terms of labour migration, now more than ever, in preparation to the post 2015 era.” He also highlighted that policies on migration would become successful if related policy linkages and engagement are drawn in consultation with all stakeholders involved in the process, which includes migrants, their families, foreign employment agents as well as relevant ministries and institutions. As part of the conference proceedings, ‘Labour Migration Information Resource Centre’, an online database consisting of a special collection on migration related articles and documents located within the IPS library, was ceremonially launched by Minister Dilan Perera. Apart from that, ‘Select Annotated Bibliography on Labour Migration in Sri Lanka’, an IPS publication comprising information on labour migration in Sri Lanka, was also launched at the conference. The half day conference brought together local stakeholders as well as international resource persons, which also included Dr. S. Irudaya Rajan from Centre for Development Studies in Kerala, India; Dr. Katheryn Lum from Migration Policy Centre in Italy, Dr. G.M. Arif from Pakistan Institute of Development Economics in Islamabad, Pakistan, and Lucia Villamayor from Philippine Overseas Employment Administration in Philippines. With the conclusion of the inauguration session, the event also comprised three sessions covering areas including Sri Lanka’s potential to expand markets for labour migrants, worker welfare at different stages of migration including pre-migration, at the destination and upon return to the country as well as a panel discussion on policies for improving migration in Sri Lanka. Throughout the deliberations of the conference, the need to focus on the quality rather than the quantity of the migrant workers was highlighted. Also, the importance in exploring new labour markets such as the Europe, North Asia, enhancing training and skill development related to migration as well as strengthening inspection and monitoring of labour migrants were some areas highlighted in the discussions on mainstreaming migration into development in Sri Lanka. The publication ‘Select Annotated Bibliography on Labour Migration in Sri Lanka’ can be purchased from the publications section of the IPS, located at 100/20, Independence Avenue, Colombo 7. For more information, contact the Publications Unit on 0112143100.