The number of people going abroad for employment has increased by 286 percent !

The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) says that 105,821 people have left the country for employment in the first five months of this year through self-employment and licensed foreign employment agencies.

This is an increase of 286 percent over the first five months of 2021. According to data from the Bureau's Information Technology Division, 27,360 people lost their jobs in the first five months of 2021, an increase of 78,461 this year.

In the first five months of 2022, 67,156 people have gone abroad for self-employment (excluding foreign employment agents). This includes 30,040 male workers and 17,121 female workers. So far this year, 25,224 women and 13,441 men have gone abroad for employment through licensed foreign employment agencies, bringing the total to 38,665. Accordingly, the total number is 105,821.

Qatar has the highest number of self-employed workers abroad at 19,133. 12,701 went to Kuwait, 11,000 to the United Arab Emirates and 1754 to South Korea.

Currently, there is a lot of interest in the Bureau of Foreign Employment and the Bureau of Foreign Employment has provided a number of facilities for foreign employment registration. In the recent past, countries recruiting workers for employment have taken steps to grow the field of foreign employment through positive measures such as vaccination and quarantine facilities, increasing training opportunities and online registration. The provision of security and welfare facilities for foreign workers at the embassy level has also been significantly enhanced.

It also recently introduced a new mobile application using information technology to facilitate the work of foreign job seekers. This will enable them to receive complaints online, as well as obtain foreign employment and licensed employment agencies as well as their registration information.

Also, the Bureau's website www.slbfe.lk facilitates many foreign employment related activities easily and quickly. Due to the current economic situation in the country, a large number of young people are showing a tendency to go abroad for employment.

Meanwhile, according to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, remittances from foreign workers in the first three months of this year amounted to US $ 783 million. The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) has requested the emigrant community to send their remittances through commercial banks in Sri Lanka to reliably transfer hard earned money to their relatives.