Foreign employment plays a crucial role in the Sri Lankan Economy, and remittances constitute 8% of its GDP. One fifth of Sri Lanka’s work force is employed overseas, and numbers are increasing every year. Due to the increasing importance of the sector, maintaining and improving the safety and decency of migrants’ work environment is a priority for the Government and the people of Sri Lanka. This includes integrity and fairness in the recruitment process, and the application of international norms and standards. Therefore TISL has commissioned a study on the integrity of the recruitment to foreign employment in Sri Lanka to Centre for Women’s Research (CENWOR).
The survey is started in October 2008 and will conclude at the end of January 2009. The general objective of this research study is to contribute to a process that will enable prospective migrant workers to seek overseas employment in an environment that is transparent, equitable and free from exploitation. The study includes a sample survey, key stakeholder interviews, and case studies. The sample survey includes 225 migrant workers from high migrant outflow districts of Colombo, Matale and Puttalam. Twenty five case studies primarily from the survey areas will be compiled and analyzed, and in-depth interviews are held with various stakeholders. In addition, good practices in other migrant-sending countries (Bangladesh and the Philippines) are identified from desk research. The study is expected to provide insights that could inform the government and other stakeholders about the measures that could adopt to minimize the exploitation that workers are subjected to.
A report and a position paper will be launched shortly.