SUNNY LIFE OVER THE OCEAN

Nearly 10% of Sri Lanka’s population are overseas as registered migrant workers

FOLLOWING IS AN EXCERPT FROM THE SPEECH MADE BY SRI LANKA’S AMBASSADOR TO THE UN IN GENEVA AND LEADER OF THE SRI LANKA DELEGATION RAVINATHA P. ARIYASINHA AT THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL’S 29TH REGULAR SESSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS OF MIGRANTS. HE MADE THESE OBSERVATIONS DURING AN INTERACTIVE DIALOGUE ON THE OPENING DAY (JUNE 15) OF THE 29TH SESSION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL IN GENEVA, FOLLOWING MR. FRANÇOIS CRÉPEAU, THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF MIGRANTS PRESENTING HIS REPORT, PURSUANT TO A VISIT TO SRI LANKA FROM MAY 19 - 26, 2014.

Sri Lanka is predominantly a migrant-sending State. The number of migrants to Sri Lanka is negligible. Nearly 10% of Sri Lanka’s population are overseas as registered migrant workers. In this context, a visit by the Special Rapporteur on Migrants was important to focus greater attention on the human rights of Sri Lankan migrant workers.

Sri Lanka places migration high in its national development policy. An estimated 1.8 million Sri Lankans reside and/or work abroad. This is equal to 20% of the country’s total economically-active population, and approximately 8.9% of the total population. An estimated 35.5% of the economically- active population of the country are women and 51.6% of the total population are women.

As to whether Sri Lankan women migrant workers going for overseas employment is economically or socially beneficial, has been debated extensively in Sri Lanka. Due to the social costs involved, especially to children of these female migrant workers, currently, Sri Lanka experiences an increase in male migrant workers (21.45% in 2013) and a decrease in female migrant workers (by 14.64% in 2013). It has also been found that departure of housemaids (unskilled) has also decreased (by 18.55% in 2013). A majority of migrant workers have departed through licensed migrant agencies (61.6% in 2013) and this practice continues.

Sri Lanka was among the first countries to ratify the “International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of all migrant workers and members of their families”. The ratification of the protocol to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking of persons, especially women and children were completed on May 15, 2015. Sri Lanka signed the International Convention for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in March 2007. Following the election of the new President Maithripala Sirisena on January 8, 2015, and the formation of the new Government; a consultation process has been initiated to take steps towards early ratification of the Convention.

Since Sri Lanka is also increasingly becoming a labour and migrant receiving country, with a growing number of resident visa holders arriving each year; the Government of Sri Lanka has been working in close partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to ensure better health and development outcome for all flows of migrant population (inbound, outbound and internal) and the families they leave behind. The ‘Sri Lanka National Migration Health Policy’launched in 2013, by the Ministry of Health as a multistakeholder and evidence-based approach involves 13 key Government ministries and the technical support from IOM.

Further, the Government is mindful of the need to strengthen ‘Document Forgery Alerts’ and improving the capacity of the ‘Integrated Inquiry Management System’at the Department where other State agencies could receive immediate verifications on travel documents. With the support of the IOM, the matter of how best all agencies that are responsible for issuance of important feeder documents, such as the Department of Registrar of Persons and Divisional Secretariats, could be linked.

The other most important institutional mechanism to assist migrants at destination countries is through the labour attaches seconded to Sri Lanka’s Embassies overseas from the Ministry of Labour. Such offices have been established within seventeen Sri Lankan Missions abroad to facilitate the Sri Lankan migrant workersreceiving countries. We have also focused on improving the services of labour welfare officers and take note of the need to have more female welfare officers to handle gender-related issues. Sri Lanka is in the constant process of upgrading and closing the gaps in its consular services.

Sri Lanka places migration high in its national development policy. An estimated 1.8 million Sri Lankans reside and/or work abroad. This is equal to 20% of the country’s total economically-active population, and approximately 8.9% of the total population

The change of Government following the recent Presidential election has ushered in an atmosphere necessary for greater focus on, inter alia, independence of institutions, including the Human Rights Commission. In this regard, the Sri Lanka Parliament adopted the 19th Amendment to the Constitution on April 28, 2015, which will set up an Independent Human Rights Commission among other Independent Commissions.

We note the observations by the Special Rapporteur that there is a large mismatch between the international demand for jobs and the supply capabilities of Sri Lanka, as demand is mainly for skilled labour, while Sri Lankan migration is concentrated on housemaids and low-skilled workers.

In this regard, the authorities in Sri Lanka are giving due consideration and give particular attention -- both locally and regionally -- to increase the migration of skilled workers, including through better vocational training. The SLBFE has introduced a training system for migrant workers: i.e Level 3 qualification of ‘National Vocational Qualification’(NVQ).