All migration-related activities should be digitized immediately to prevent the trafficking and irregularities currently reported in the field of foreign employment, the ‘Vides Balaya’ organization said.
The organization questioned why this has not happened so far and whether there was any undue influence to stop such a thing from happening.
The convener of the ‘Vides Balaya’ Organization Janaka Balalla, questioned whether the Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment has fallen prey to the wiles of human traffickers, adding that if the minister has a backbone he should go ahead with plans to digitize the foreign employment sector forthwith.
Addressing the media at the CSR hall in Maradana, Balalla said that if lack of money was the issue, his organization was ready to collect the necessary funds from the expatriate workers to fund the digitization of the foreign employment sector.
He stressed that although laws have been enacted regarding foreign employment, there is a problem with whether they are functioning properly and added that is why digitization is so important.
“As the field of foreign employment and migration has not been digitized, various traffickers have got the opportunity to engage in their fraudulent activities without any hindrance. In the past, the number of people leaving for foreign jobs through visit visas has grown. Taking workers for work through visit visas had also fallen into the hands of smugglers and therefore many Sri Lankan workers had faced various difficulties,” Balalla said.
The ‘Vides Balaya’ organization emphasized that if it is possible to bring information related to foreign jobs and migration under one digital platform, it will be possible to put an end to human trafficking and smuggling.
For this reason, the ‘Vides Balaya’ organization stressed that this sector should be digitized immediately.
“Last week the issuance of passports was digitized. Now no one has to stand in queues and also there is no room for fraudulent activities. Likewise, it is important to digitize the field of foreign employment as it would help to alleviate fraud and will make the related processes more efficient and transparent. If Minister Manusha Nanayakkara can’t do it, no one else can,” Balalla said. (NewsWire)