The number of Sri Lankans applying for foreign employment has declined, according to the Association of Licensed Foreign Employment Agencies (ALFEA).
Association member Muhammad Azam said the main reason for this drop is the loss of confidence in foreign employment opportunities, caused by fraudulent activities linked to politicians of the previous government.
The issue was discussed at a recent meeting of the Association of Registered Foreign Employment Agents held in Colombo. Members noted a clear reduction in the number of workers being sent abroad, especially to Middle Eastern countries.
Mr. Azam said the association plans to work closely with the government next year to properly regulate and formalise the process of sending workers overseas. He expressed confidence that these measures would help restore trust and increase overseas job placements.
He added that remittances from Sri Lankan workers abroad are expected to rise to around US$ 10 billion next year if the system is streamlined.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) said more than 300,000 Sri Lankans have gone abroad for work so far this year. Of them, 184,085 were male workers and 116,106 were female workers.
The SLBFE said 105,209 workers migrated through licensed foreign employment agencies, while 194,982 went abroad on their own. During the past 11 months, Sri Lanka has received US$ 7.19 billion in foreign remittances from overseas workers.
