The Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) has exposed alarming human trafficking cases linked to the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment, revealing that workers were sent abroad without legal employment contracts, leaving many unaccounted for.
The investigation found that senior Bureau officials, including former Chairman and Acting Chairman Saminda Jayasekara and former Deputy General Manager P.P. Weerasekara, had issued unauthorized circulars allowing workers to travel on tourist visas instead of formal employment contracts. This practice, which bypassed legal regulations, enabled the mass exploitation of Sri Lankan workers abroad.
Weerasekara defended the practice, arguing that visa categories were irrelevant as long as workers secured employment. Shockingly, he admitted that workers were also sent to South Korea on tourist visas. Instead of obtaining long-term, legally binding employment contracts, the Bureau relied on short-term 45-day agreements with foreign institutions, further exposing workers to risks.
According to COPE’s findings, 6,290 workers were sent abroad through this controversial system, but only 4,300 were registered in destination countries. A staggering 1,990 individuals remain unaccounted for, while 742 people have disappeared altogether. Additionally, 365 workers returned within 45 days, raising serious concerns about job security and working conditions. Another 880 individuals, lacking legal employment protection, remain stranded abroad beyond their initial 45-day period.
Members of Parliament within the committee alleged that many women sent through this system were exploited and “sold” due to the absence of proper oversight. They accused the Bureau of prioritizing foreign employment agencies’ interests over worker protection, citing evidence that minors were among those approved and sent abroad.
The investigation further revealed that 1,925 complaints had been filed against the Bureau, yet the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau failed to take action. When questioned about ministerial oversight during these violations, officials confirmed that Manusha Nanayakkara was the minister responsible at the time.
These shocking revelations raise serious concerns about human trafficking, government negligence, and the fate of hundreds of Sri Lankan workers sent abroad under this fraudulent scheme.
