The Hon. (Dr.) M.L.A.M. Hizbullah

¶ 01 Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim.

¶ 02 Hon. Presiding Member, I commend the Private Member’s Motion brought by former Finance Minister Hon. Ravi Karunanayake and support making this legally effective. The economy significantly depends on the income of those working abroad, but we have failed to ensure their protection, proper employment, and salaries.

¶ 03 Many sent as housemaids, drivers, or other jobs—especially in the Middle East—do not receive the promised work or salary, even after 5–6 months or a year. Some are shifted to harsher jobs. Various frauds by employment agents and their collaborators in destination countries occur. The Foreign Employment Bureau keeps introducing new procedures to curb abuses, and embassies are assisting victims. Despite efforts by the Foreign Ministry, certain agents continue to operate, undermining these efforts.

¶ 04 Therefore, the motion is important. The Government must focus on safety, job recognition, and ensuring payment. One grave abuse: women taken as housemaids are placed in homes for a month, the employer pays a large fee, then agents extract the women, lodge them via the embassy, and deploy them for illicit or exploitative work. Some agents have made this a business, harming Sri Lanka’s reputation and even limiting job opportunities for Sri Lankans.

¶ 05 We must address this. Even in large countries like Saudi Arabia, only one or two officers are posted at embassies to oversee such matters—clearly insufficient when hundreds of thousands of Sri Lankans work across vast distances. Please post more officers, conduct proper inquiries, and establish legal safeguards to prevent recurrence. I thank Hon. Ravi Karunanayake and conclude.