MoU to legalise migration to Italy

Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare Minister Dilan Perera yesterday said two officers of the Government of Italy have arrived in Sri Lanka for a study to formulate a mechanism to provide employment to Sri Lankans in Italy, in respect of an MoU signed between the two countries. Making this observation in Parliament, the Minister said, on behalf of the government, he entered into an agreement with the Italian government to prevent Sri Lankan youth migrating illegally.

Minister Perera said, soon after the Italian officers' report was ready the Italian government would decide the number of the annual Sri Lankan migrants to Italy.

He added that statistics are not available of the number of illegal migrants. But that the Italian government assumed the number as approximately 75,000. He said the majority of Sri Lankans have migrated illegally for employment, spending large sums of money. Minister Perera was responding to a question raised by UNP MP Dayasiri Jayasekera.