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Record number of Lankans migrated for employment in 2004

The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment records the year 2004 as the year with highest number of Sri Lankans migrating for employments in its history with 213,453 Sri Lankans migrating for foreign employment within the year.

The SLBFE said that 213,453 Sri Lankans have migrated to many parts of the world for foreign employment within year 2004 compared to 208,803 migrant workers in the year 2003.

The largest number of Sri Lankans have migrated to countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE and Quatar. A total of 70,691 Sri Lankans have migrated to Saudi Arabia. Another 36,533 to Quatar, 35,633 to Kuwait and 32,698 to UAE have migrated within the year 2004.

Of the total migrant workers, 110,034 have been migrated as housemaids, the SLBFE added.

The improvement of welfare programmes for the migrant workers has emmencely contributed for the increase of migrant workers during this year.

The extensive programme launched by the SLBFE to ensure the safety of the migrant workers has also contributed for this increase. The SLBFE has paid Rs. 64 million as insurance benefits for migrant workers during the year 2004 under its insurance scheme for them. Of the 64 million insurance benefits, Rs. 37.5 million has been paid as compensation for deaths, the SLBFE states.

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