Monday, June 22, 2009
Written by David Soysa and first published in Sri Lanka Guardian (June 20th)
It is generally feared that many Sri Lankan migrants and their families will be the hardest hit by the current global recession, as they are paid low wages and given a low status. Domestic workers continue to be abused and exploited.
Like other developing countries, we too relied on migrant remittances, to service our debt repayments, stabilize foreign exchange reserves, and spur economic growth.
As with other countries a topic for urgent consideration today is how would the global recession affect ‘Decent Work for Migrants’ Juan Somavia, Director General – ILO in addressing the current crisis declared ‘Decent Work opportunities at home would pave the way for migration by choice not necessity.’
This implies a sacred responsibility on countries of origin to create decent jobs locally for their people and develop sustainable programmes at home for would be migrants.
It requires comprehensive action, aimed at providing training and skill formation for the majority of overseas job seekers as well as returnee migrants. Removal of “vulnerabilities” towards migrants would ensure their reintegration into communities left behind. For this purpose governments should provide skills upliftment and certification for those in search of overseas migration opportunities and Development Programmes as well as Micro-credit facilities, where necessary, to enable early re-entry to the national labour force on their return.
The liberation of the North and East Sri Lanka recently, from terrorism, presents further challenges and opportunities. Notwithstanding the many problems that inevitably surface, it gives an opportunity “to turn gun barrels into plough shears”.
The President of Sri Lanka remembered the large mass of Sri Lankan expatriates who left Sri Lanka since the regretted Black July episode and during the last few decades of war, invited them to return and participate as a responsible Diaspora in the development and growth of a neglected, yet once fruitful land, they owned as they left in a hurry.
To demonstrate the government’s commitments, the Central Bank offered the Diaspora community an opportunity to invest in Treasury Bills and Bonds with attractive rates of interest.
The Bank offered a bonus interest on NRFC savings accounts too. The use of worker remittances and diaspora inflows offer a critical opportunity to overcome several insidious effects of migration for overseas employment.
It is in this context that we wish to re-emphasize the significance of implementing fully provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Migrant Workers and Members of their Families ratified by Sri Lanka in 1996 which grants social, political and economic and cultural rights on all migrants.
The writer, Director, Migrant Services Centre (MSC)
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