A Sri Lankan company director has been sentenced in New Zealand after being found guilty of exploiting a migrant worker employed at her business.

Dodamwalage Kalani Helikumari Jayawardhana, known as Kalani, was sentenced on 6 July to two years’ imprisonment, to be served as 12 months’ home detention, after being convicted on three charges of migrant exploitation following an investigation by New Zealand’s Immigration New Zealand (INZ).

The offences occurred while Jayawardhana was a director of Computer Express 24 Care Limited, a business based in Palmerston North.

The court also ordered her to pay NZ$59,657.68 in reparation, including unpaid wages, PAYE contributions, and NZ$15,000 that she had unlawfully demanded from the employee during the course of her employment.

According to INZ, the victim, a Sri Lankan national employed as an office manager, was repeatedly pressured to hand over large sums of money, including wages she had earned, while trying to build a future in New Zealand and progress her residency application.

INZ National Manager of Investigations Jason Perry described the case as a serious abuse of power, saying employers have no right to demand money from workers in exchange for employment or the prospect of a better future.

He said the case highlights the harm caused by migrant exploitation and serves as a warning that authorities will continue to pursue employers who profit from vulnerable migrant workers. (Newswire)

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The notification on the plan for the implementation of an employment agreement between Sri Lanka and Israel for the agricultural activities of Israel was taken up for consideration by the Cabinet of Ministers.

According to the government, approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted in 2020 to enter into an agreement with the Government of Israel for temporarily engaging Sri Lankan labour in precise labour market sectors in the State of Israel and to sign a basic document between the two parties in this regard. 

In terms of the said agreement, the Population, Immigration and Territory Authority of Israel expects to recruit labour for agricultural activities of Israel. 

Accordingly, the notification submitted by the Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment informing that the two parties signed the implementation plan on November 06, 2023, was taken up for consideration by the Cabinet of Ministers. (NewsWire)

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The highest employment quota in the history of Sri Lanka has been secured from South Korea, Minister of Foreign Employment Manusha Nanayakkara reported.

Minister Nanayakkara said in a statement, that the highest employment quota has been secured from South Korea for this year. 

Stating that an employment quota of 6500 has been secured, the minister said, nearly 200 Sri Lankan migrants are being dispatched weekly as a result.

“109 Sri Lankans left yesterday for employment in the fisheries sector in South Korea. Another 65 Sri Lankans are due to fly tomorrow and another 28 Sri Lankans will depart the day after,” Minister Nanayakkara said. (NewsWire)

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