On 27th May 2020, a panel discussion was conducted by Global Research Forum on Diaspora and Transnationalism [GRFDT] on the topic “Gulf Migration: During and Aftermath of COVID-19”.
Dr. BileshaWeeraratneis a research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka. She focused on the issue of gulf migrants from Sri Lanka and pointed out that even though the number of migrants was decreasing, they still comprise an important part of the economy of Sri Lanka.
She presented significant facts that showed the percentage of male and female workers as well as the meagre 14% of the workers who are highly skilled or professional. Due to the pandemic, remittances were lost along with potential employment opportunities because of bans by administration.
The pandemic also led to return migration due to lay-offs, panic and sudden unemployment as experienced by the workers which will also have an ominous effect on Sri Lanka’s contracting economy.
Dr. Weeraratne pointed out that Sri Lanka has a good migration labor policy which focuses on return, repatriation and reintegration as well, even if the returning migrants will be hard hit in the local labor market. Prof. Weeraratne also expressed her concern over the collaborative efforts of all the nations while caring for the workers’ health.
Her concluding speech spoke of feminization of migrant labor which was brought down through regulation but led to a rise in informal migration which happened outside the purview of Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau. Hence, Dr. Weeraratne asked for a paradigm shift in migrant labor recruitment and regulation through proper channels.
Sukanya Bhattacharya