The Department of Immigration and Emigration is not supporting the government’s efforts to combat human trafficking, Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment Manusha Nanayakkara alleged.
Minister Nanyakkara claimed that Airport officials in a number of sections were aiding illegal emigration for foreign jobs.
He made the remarks while speaking at the opening of the Safe Migration Promotion Unit at the Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake yesterday.
Stating that some government officials today were reluctant to carry out their duty, he said this was so as some of them have faced trouble for doing their duty properly.
“Today, government officials are very afraid to fulfil their duties. Military officers who have fulfilled their duties are still on lists. Because they fulfilled their duties, today we are doing well as a country. Some officials who have fulfilled their duties have fallen into trouble for doing so,” he said.
Minister Nanayakkara went on to say that officers working at the Airport are also very careful when implementing the law.
“Because the government itself has clearly stated in the constitution that freedom of movement should be safeguarded. When some officials try to question passengers with regards to their travel, there are times when some passengers take officials to task,” he pointed out.
The Minister revealed that there are times when officials of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) try to stop some people trying to illegally migrate for jobs, during which Airport and Emigration officials interfere in such efforts.
Minister Nanayakkara emphasized that efforts to curb trafficking and illegal emigration for foreign jobs cannot be stopped by just one entity and it should be a combined effort involving the Ministry of Defense, CID, the SLBFE, Airport and Immigration and Emigration officials and other stakeholders.
The Minister further recalled that there was a time when the migrant workers were looked at as human bombs and mistreated like the covid pandemic.
“There was a time when remittances fell to one hundred and two hundred million dollars. We were able to increase the migrant worker remittances to more than 3 billion dollars by giving them the respect they deserve. Sri Lankan Migrant workers deserve respect, safety and dignity,” he added.
The newly opened unit has been established with the aim of preventing Sri Lankans going abroad on tourist visas, from becoming victims of human trafficking, and providing proper guidance to Sri Lankan migrant workers.
The unit mainly focuses on those who go to Malaysia, Oman, Dubai and Abu Dhabi on tourist visas in search of jobs. It will be operated 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. (NewsWire)