The Hon. Shanakiyan Rajaputhiran Rasamanickam

¶ 01 Mr. Presiding Member, I second this important motion by Hon. Ravi Karunanayake. He frequently brings substantive proposals to this House and sets an example to younger Members by using all parliamentary avenues to highlight national issues. I thank him for that example.

¶ 02 People who go abroad for work—whether to the Middle East or the West—often do so under severe hardship. From our North and the plantation regions, most who choose the Middle East do so only after life becomes untenable here. Meanwhile, we cut even “Aswesuma” payments from their mothers at home. Therefore, as the former Minister proposes, granting legal powers to a dedicated unit is essential.

¶ 03 Many go abroad on tourist visas without knowing they must not. Even the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment, Hon. Arun Hemachandra, knows this. After arriving that way, their lives deteriorate. The government must control bogus agencies. Hundreds of thousands have gone to Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia; it is difficult for ministries alone to handle this scale. Many have spoken to me about such problems.