The Government has responded to key questions raised by opposition MP Ravi Karunanayake concerning Sri Lankan migrant workers, including on minimum wages and working conditions.
MP Karunanayake had raised the questions from the Minister of Finance under Parliamentary Standing Order 27(2) in May this year.
According to a Parliament statement, the government’s response to the 10 questions is as follows;
- What are the Minimum wages currently applicable to Sri Lankan migrant workers in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and Kuwait?
The Government of Sri Lanka lifted the mandatory minimum monthly wage of USD 300 for migrant workers on 13th September 2021, as part of post-COVID-19 economic recovery efforts and to enhance overseas job opportunities. Therefore, currently there is no imposed minimum wage for migrant workers by the Sri Lankan Government. However, as of 2025, minimum wage provisions for migrant workers in the Middle East vary by country.
In Qatar, a legally mandated non-discriminatory minimum wage applies to all workers, including domestic workers. It ensures a basic monthly salary of 1,000 Qatari Riyals (approximately USD 275), with additional allowances of 300 QAR for food and 500 QAR for accommodation if not provided by the employer, bringing the total to 1,800 QAR (around USD 494).
In Kuwait, the minimum wage for private sector workers, including expatriates, is 75 Kuwaiti Dinars (about USD 240) per month. Saudi Arabia does not currently have a legally established minimum wage for migrant workers. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), there is no specified minimum wage.
The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) and Sri Lankan Missions abroad maintain ongoing engagement with these host countries to monitor wage conditions and advocate for the fair treatment and protection of its workers abroad.
- Has Sri Lanka signed Bilateral Labour Agreements with Middle Eastern Governments to guarantee fair wages and better working conditions for Sri Lankan workers?
Yes. Sri Lanka has signed Bilateral Labour Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with key Middle Eastern destination countries to safeguard the rights and welfare of Sri Lankan migrant workers. These agreements are designed to ensure fair wages, decent and safe working conditions, dispute resolution mechanisms and legal protections, particularly for domestic and low-skilled workers.
Through diplomatic engagement and labour diplomacy, Sri Lanka has signed 08 MoUs/labour agreements with key destination countries in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Israel, Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait. These agreements typically cover key aspects, including standardized employment contracts, dispute resolution mechanisms, wage protection, access to grievance redress, and regulation of recruitment practices.
In addition, Sri Lanka continues to work closely with host countries to monitor implementation, enhance oversight, and engage in joint committees to review labour conditions. These efforts reflect Sri Lanka’s commitment to protecting its overseas workers and ensuring their dignity and rights are upheld in line with international labour standards.
- How does the Ministry ensure that Sri Lankan workers receive wages equal or better than workers from Nepal, Bangladesh, and the Philippines in the same industries?
The Government of Sri Lanka, through the Ministry in close coordination with the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) and the Sri Lankan Missions in abroad, takes a comprehensive and diplomatic approach to ensure that Sri Lankan workers in destination countries receive wages and employment conditions equal to or better than those offered to migrant workers from other competiting labour sending countries in the same sectors. This is achieved through regular bilateral engagements and labour cooperation agreement,s and joint committee meetings with relevant countries. These agreements are reviewed whenever necessary to discuss and decide on relevant issues that arise to reflect labour market changes and uphold wage parity across nationalities.
Further, before departure, all Sri Lankan workers undergo mandatory registration and pre-departure training, during which their employment contracts are reviewed to ensure that salary levels comply with legal minimum wage and, where possible, reflect regional benchmarks. The Sri Lankan Missions abroad, supported by labour attachés, actively monitor wage trends and employer compliance, while also addressing grievances, including wage discrepancies, through direct engagement with relevant authorities and employers. In cases where Sri Lankan workers are offered lower wages than their counterparts from other countries despite performing similar roles, the Embassy intervenes diplomatically to resolve such disparities.
The Ministry also collaborates with regional and international platforms such as the Abu Dhabi Dialogue to stay aligned with best practices and policy innovations in labour migration. This multilateral engagement helps ensure that Sri Lankan workers benefit from comparable protections and compensation packages. Moreover, the Ministry enforces strict regulations on recruitment agencies within Sri Lanka to prevent contract manipulation or wage undercutting at the source level. Agencies found to be in violation of fair recruitment standards are subject to disciplinary action.
Overall, Sri Lanka’s strategy is rooted in fairness, transparency, and diplomatic engagement, ensuring that its migrant workers are treated equitably and competitively in the global labour market. Through continuous monitoring, international cooperation, and strong consular support, the Ministry remains fully committed to protecting the rights and welfare of Sri Lankan workers abroad.
However, the wages of migrant workers may vary depending on their skill level, competencies, job performance, and overall attitude.
Further, the SLBFE acknowledges the importance of conducting a wage comparison analysis and is considering initiating a study in collaboration with labour attachés and missions abroad.
- What specific legal and diplomatic measures has the government taken to prevent wage exploitation, underpayment and contract violations affecting Sri Lankan migrant workers?
The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) has taken several legal and diplomatic measures to protect Sri Lankan migrant workers from wage exploitation, contract violations, and non-payment of dues by foreign employers.
Specifically, Section 44 of the SLBFE Act No. 21 of 1985 empowers the Bureau to take action against foreign employment agencies and employers who breach employment contracts or fail to fulfil their obligations. The SLBFE may:
- Initiate inquiries and investigations into complaints received from migrant workers
- Take legal proceedings against errant licensed agencies
- Revoke or suspend the licenses of recruitment agencies violating employment conditions
- Recommend blacklisting of foreign employers who exploit Sri Lankan workers
In addition to the above, the SLBFE has established the following mechanisms and interventions:
- Pre-departure contract verification and attestation to ensure terms and wages are in line with host country laws and bilateral agreements.
- Deployment of officers for the Employment and Welfare Sections in Sri Lankan Missions abroad to handle grievances, mediate disputes, and liaise with foreign authorities.
- Collaboration with host country labour ministries and recruitment regulatory bodies to ensure the enforcement of fair labour standards.
- Blacklisting and banning of employers and agencies found guilty of wage-related abuses or contract violations.
- Emergency repatriation assistance and legal aid for victims of wage theft and abuse.
These measures are part of a broader national commitment to protect the rights and dignity of Sri Lankan migrant workers and to ensure fair and safe migration under international labour standards.
- Given that Qatar has set a minimum wage of $ 494 per month, do Sri Lankan workers receive at least this amount? If not, why?
Yes. Qatar’s Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs (MADLSA) enforces a minimum wage legislation for migrant workers, established under Law No.17 of 2020 and Ministerial Decision No. 25 of 2020. Sri Lankan migrant workers in Qatar are entitled to receive the national minimum wage, which was implemented in March 2021. This legislation mandates a basic minimum wage of 1,000 Qatari riyals (approximately $275), along with allowances of 300 QAR for food and 500 QAR for accommodation if these are not provided directly by the employer. This brings the total minimum package (if the employer does not provide food and housing) to 1,800 QAR (around $494) per month.
This minimum wage applies uniformly to all workers, regardless of nationality or sector, including domestic workers. It reflects Qatar’s broader labour reforms aimed at improving the rights and welfare of migrant workers.
The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE), in close coordination with the Sri Lankan Embassy in Doha, continues to monitor compliance with these wage standards to ensure Sri Lankan workers receive their rightful entitlements. While many Sri Lankan workers earn at or above the stipulated minimum. If underpaid, a migrant worker can make complaints.
To address challenges such as delayed payments or unauthorised deductions, the Qatari authorities have introduced key safeguards, including the Workers’ Support and Insurance Fund, which provides compensation for unpaid wages. Both the Sri Lankan and Qatar governments remain engaged in constructive dialogue to strengthen the implementation of labour laws and uphold the rights of Sri Lankan workers through ongoing bilateral cooperation.
- Filipino domestic workers in Saudi Arabia receive a minimum wage of $ 384 per month. What is the minimum wage for Sri Lankan domestic workers in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Countries?
There is no uniform minimum wage for Sri Lankan domestic workers in the Gulf region at present. However, in Saudi Arabia, wages typically range from USD 250 to USD 350, depending on the contract and experience. The Philippines currently secures USD 400 for domestic workers due to its strict deployment policies and bilateral protections. Sri Lanka continues to advocate for better wages through diplomatic channels.
- How does the Ministry monitor wage compliance by employers and recruitment agencies to ensure that Sri Lankan workers are not underpaid or exploited?
The Ministry, in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE), employs a multi-tiered monitoring mechanism to ensure wage compliance and protect Sri Lankan workers from underpayment and exploitation abroad.
This includes pre-departure verification of employment contracts to ensure alignment with agreed wage standards and legal requirements. The SLBFE also closely regulates and licenses recruitment agencies, conducts periodic audits, and enforces compliance with ethical recruitment guidelines, digital systems for worker registration and complaint management and post-arrival surveys and exit interviews to capture wage-related feedback.
At the destination level, Sri Lanka’s diplomatic missions play a proactive role in monitoring worker welfare, engaging with host country authorities, and addressing grievances through established labour attachés or welfare officers. Bilateral agreements further strengthen these mechanisms by providing for joint committees and dispute resolution frameworks.
- Does the Ministry have plans to reintroduce a mandatory wage policy for Sri Lankan workers going abroad, similar to what was there in Sri Lanka in 2016. If so when?
The 2023 revision of the National Policy and Action Plan on Migration for Employment (2023–2027 emphasizes strengthening the protection and welfare of migrant workers. This forward-looking policy framework is grounded in the principles of decent work, protection of rights, and equitable treatment of Sri Lankan workers employed overseas. While the current framework does not include a reintroduced fixed mandatory minimum wage for outbound workers, it places strong emphasis on enhancing governance structures, promoting fair recruitment practices, and improving overall employment conditions in line with international standards.
In this context, the Ministry is giving due consideration to reviewing existing policies, including the potential reintroduction of a minimum wage mechanism for Sri Lankan migrant workers. This process is being approached with careful deliberation, taking into account stakeholder consultations, economic sustainability, and prevailing international practices. The objective is to ensure that any future policy decisions are balanced, evidence-based, and aligned with the overarching goal of safeguarding the dignity and livelihoods of Sri Lankan workers abroad.
- Can Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau through Sri Lankan recruiting agencies given guidelines to introduce minimum wage requirements to prevent underpayment of workers by employers in the Middle East?
Yes. SLBFE is working on issuing standard wage guideline benchmarks for licensed Sri Lankan recruitment agencies, especially for high-demand occupations, to minimize the risk of wage exploitation in host countries.
- Will the Minister agree that since we have around 1.7 Million Sri Lankans working in the Middle East, such policy can help to earn a minimum of US Dollars 1.5 billion per year?
Indeed, with approximately 1.3 million Sri Lankan workers in the Middle East, the annual remittance potential is significant. Strengthening wage protection mechanisms and introducing clear wage standards can enhance worker welfare and foreign exchange earnings. The Ministry recognizes this and is actively formulating policy in this regard. (Newswire)