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The Italian Government plans to offer Sri Lankans an annual job quota as part of an action program to combat illegal migration.

The Italian government hopes to implement this scheme as soon as it is formally approved by the relevant authorities, a joint press release by Employment and Labour Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe and Italian Ambassador in Sri Lanka Salvatore Zotta said.

Italy has also requested the Sri Lankan Government to organise an Italian language training and orientation program for prospective migrant workers and facilitate a program to develop skills of prospective migrant workers.

"The Employment and Labour Ministry will embark on a long term foreign employment program in collaboration with the Italian Government in view of providing employment for the youth of Sri Lanka," the release added. The Police and the Sri Lanka Navy would carry out intensified patrols along the coastal belt to combat all forms of human smuggling. Routes and locations of these operations have been identified and mapped out and intelligent services are in possession of most critical information pertaining to these operations. Since September 2001, Italian authorities have repatriated some 600 illegal Sri Lankan immigrants.

A joint action program to combat illegal immigration has been implemented through an inter-ministerial committee comprising Employment Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe, Foreign Minister Tyronne Fernando, Interior Minister John Amaratunga and Defence Minister Tilak Marapana.

"Due to these initiatives, the Government has recently been able to carry out several operations which have brought a significant impact on illegal migration," it added.

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