Saturday Nov 23, 2024
Saturday Nov 23, 2024
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Over 300,000 Sri Lankans left the country for foreign employment last year and the country could surpass this number in 2023. Also over 800,000 passports were issued last year with many eager for a ticket out of the country. The lure of an overseas job is getting increasingly attractive to Lankans in almost all sections in society who are exasperated by economic woes and political uncertainties.
While over 85% of those who went overseas for employment went to Middle Eastern countries, there are also those who are seeking out employment in European countries such as Romania and South East countries.
Most of those desperate to get out of the country are the youth who want a better life than what is on offer in their motherland but in the hurry to leave the country, many are also falling victim to fraudulent job agents and middlemen who fleece them of whatever money they can offer and send them off to countries which have no jobs for them.
The Foreign Ministry recently warned that Lankans have been lured by a bogus IT company in Thailand. There have also been numerous reports of Lankans being stranded in Middle Eastern countries after being duped by unscrupulous job agents. There was also the recent incident where 90 Lankan women who were promised jobs in Oman ended up being victims of a sex trafficking racket and are awaiting repatriation.
Lankans have been going overseas for employment for many years but the exodus since last year is directly tied to the economic crisis in the country. The sense of despondency among the youth is particularly palpable with most eager to go overseas but are without any solid idea of what awaits them in the greener pastures they seek. It’s their desperation that is pushing them straight into the hands of rogue job agents.
The Foreign Employment Bureau on its part issues warnings from time to time asking those seeking overseas jobs to ensure they are registered with the Bureau before paying hefty sums of money to those who promise lucrative jobs in foreign countries but such warnings aren’t often heeded. As a result many young men in particular have got stranded in mainly ME countries with no jobs, no money, no accommodation and in some cases no food.
Sri Lankan embassies in these countries are hard pressed with lack of resources and personnel to assist these victims of circumstances and hence they await in centres for illegal immigrants awaiting repatriation back to the same problems they were fleeing from.
The only way to keep people from leaving the country is to improve conditions back home so that the youth in particular will be encouraged to remain in the country. This means listening to them and working to meet their aspirations. As things stand at present, the needs of the youth are neglected and not a priority for the Government but if the country is to retain any more of the young and talented men and women, then those in power must listen to the youth and put in place policies that will make them feel they have a future in the land of their birth.
