Victims of foreign job scams have been paid compensation of Rs.105.6 million during the first nine months of 2024, the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) said.

The SLBFE revealed that the compensation was paid following the prosecution of individuals and unregistered foreign employment agencies involved in overseas job scams.

According to the SLBFE, 570 cases were filed in Court against foreign employment fraudsters from January to September, while it had resolved 1,177 complaints out of the 3,351 that were received. 

The SLBFE’s Special Investigation Division conducted 19 raids leading to the arrest of 104 individuals, including representatives from 17 licenced employment agencies.

The public has been urged to remain vigilant of overseas job scams related to employment opportunities in Israel, South Korea, Japan, Romania, and Canada.

Urging the public to verify details prior to handing over cash to foreign employment agencies, the SLBFE also requested them to contact the Bureau’s hotline ‘1989’ regarding any overseas job scams. (Newswire)

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Departures for foreign employment recorded a significant growth of 154.4 per cent last year, according to the 2022 Annual Report of the Central Bank of Sri Laka (CBSL).

As per the report, departures for foreign employment recorded a significant growth of 311,056 in 2022 from 122,264 in 2021.

The report further stated that the significant increase in departures for foreign employment was partly on account of economic hardships that prevailed in the country during 2022. 

Accordingly, male and female departures for foreign employment accounted for 60.1 per cent and 39.9 per cent, respectively, of the total departures of foreign employment. 

Departures under all skill categories, namely professional, middle level, clerical and related, skilled, semi-skilled, unskilled and housemaid, increased with major contributions from unskilled, skilled and housemaid categories. 

The Middle East region continued to be the main foreign employment destination in 2022 as well, accounting for 84.7 per cent of the total departures for foreign employment, with 91.3 per cent of those departing to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.

2022 CBSL Annual Report : https://www.cbsl.gov.lk/en/publications/economic-and-financial-reports/annual-reports/annual-report-2022 (NewsWire)

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