Sri Lankan migrant employees in a fast unto death in Iraq; Sri Lanka government shuns responsibility stating they are illegal

Thirty Sri Lankan migrate workers have commenced a fast unto death in Al Amara, Iraq, reported a local TV station.

They say they urge the authorities to pay them the 19 months arrears of the unpaid salaries and allow them to return to Sri Lanka. The relevant employees began a fast unto death previously also but suspended the action as the officials of the Iraq government pledged to grant them solutions, reported the TV station.

A spokesman of the Lebanon embassy of Sri Lanka said to the TV station that the officials are trying hard to solve the issue.

However, Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau (SLFEB) said that it was unable to directly intervene to resolve the issue of these migrant workers.

Due to the volatile conditions in the country, the Sri Lankan government had brought the country's migrants back to the country and stopped sending any new workers to Iraq, said SLFEB Chairman, Kingsley Ranawana adding that Sri Lankan migrant workers who are on a fast unto death in Iraq had however, illegally entered the country.


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Inhuman treatment for a Sri Lankan migrant worker in Saudi Arabia

A Sri Lankan who was found guilty for selling liquor in a public place in Taif city Saudi Arabia while being drunk has been subjected to 430 lashes, reported Emirates 24/7 news service said yesterday.

The Emirates did not report the name of the person. However, the man was apparently a migrant laborer. Thousands of Sri Lankans work in Saudi Arabia as unskilled and skilled laborers. Of them, the vast majority is housemaids.

Of the 400 lashes, 80 is for being drunk, reported the news service. SEventy lashes are to be repeated five times for selling liquor. The man is also sentenced for five years and he is to be deported from Saudi Arabia after his punishment is over.


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Sri Lanka's average remittances per person reach US$131

(October 13, Colombo - Lanka Polity) Sri Lanka's average remittances per person has reached US$131 making it a nation with the largest per capita remittances in South Asia. On average the remittances per person in South Asia is US$33. Sri Lanka's average is eight times higher than the regional average.

US$2,527 million remittances that were sent to Sri Lanka by migrant workers accounted 8% of GDP in 2007.

These facts were revealed by UNDP Resident Representative Neil Buhne when presenting the findings of the 2009 Human Development Report (HDR) based on the concept of “Overcoming Barriers: Human mobility and development” held at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations in Colombo yesterday.

Migration for employment mostly by females is high in Sri Lanka who work as domestic help workers in most Middle Eastern countries that has increasingly contributed towards the country’s remittances over the years.

Around 252,021 Sri Lankans, majority of them females, secured foreign employment in 2008 and 218,459 in 2007 according to Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau statistics. 

At the presentation of the report for 2009, there is a fervent call to reduce the transaction costs for migrants to obtain employment in other countries. 

Sri Lanka media has reported a large number of incidents the local politicians including Ministers are involved in rackets of human trafficking for lucrative gains.