International forum on migrant worker issues

Rasika SOMARATHNA

An international forum to discuss issues pertaining to Sri Lankan migrant workers will be held in Beirut, Lebanon from May 13 to15, with over 20 heads of overseas missions from Sri Lanka attending among others.

Ambassadors and High Commissioners of Sri Lanka in over 20 countries, where there is a high concentration of Sri Lankan migrant workers will attend. Representatives of foreign countries, local and foreign experts, and stakeholders are expected to participate. A workshop too will be held for the participants to make them aware of the current trends, issues and future plans pertaining to the sector.

Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare Minister Dilan Perera said that the forum would also be used to make the participants aware of the country's new strategies at foreign employment promotion including its innovative new mechanism of job-specific, country- specific and company-specific training programmes for migrant worker aspirants.

Sri Lanka's migrant worker fraternity currently numbering close to 1.8 million is its largest foreign revenue earner. Their collective remittances last year amounted to 49 percent of the country's foreign exchange earnings.