Sri Lanka – Middle East Labour Migration Corridor: Trends, Patterns and Structural Changes

Authors: Dinesha Siriwardhane, Indralal De Silva, Sampath Amaratunge

Abstract:

Objective of this study is to explore the recent trends, patterns and the structural changes in the labour migration from Sri Lanka to Middle East countries and to discuss the possible impacts of those changes on the remittance flow. Study uses secondary data published by Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment and Central Bank. Thematic analysis of the secondary data revealed that the migration for labour has increased rapidly during past decades. Parallel with that the gender and the skill composition of the migration flow has been changing. Similarly, the destinations for male migration have changed over the period. These show positive implications on the international remittance receipts to the country.

Keywords: Labour migration, Remittances, Middle East, Sri Lanka.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1337563

References:

[1] Central_Bank. Annual Reports. Colombo: Central Bank Sri Lanka, 1991-2006.
[2] M.R. Gamburd, "Sri Lanka's "Army of Housmaids": Control of Remittances and Gender Transformations." Anthropologica Vol.37, No.1, Women's Words, Women's Lives, 1995 : 49-88.
[3] R. Iredale, and K. Doloswala, "International Labour Migration From India, The Philippines and Sri Lanka: Trends and Policies." Sri Lanka Journal of Social Sciences 27, no. 1&2 2004: 107-142.
[4] S. Kelegama, Migration, Remittances and Development in South Asia. New Delhi: SAGE Pablications, 2011.
[5] Ministry for Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare. National Labour Migration Policy for Sri Lanka. Policy Report, Colombo: 2008.
[6] J. Shaw, "Housemaid Remittances in Rural Sri Lanka: Development Policy Issues." 17th Bennial Conference of the Asian Studies Association of Australia in Melbourne. Melbourne, 2008.
[7] D. Siriwardhane, W.I. De Silva, and S. Amaratunge, "Female Dominance to Male Dominance: Changing Sex Structure of the Labour Migrants and the Remittance Flow to Sri Lanka." Paper Presented at the International Conference on Migration. National Science Foundation, Sri Lanka, 2013.
[8] L.A. Sjaastad, "The Costs and Returns of Human Migration." Political Economy 70, no. 5 (1962): 80-93.
[9] SLBFE. Annual Statistical Report of Foreign Employment 2010. Colombo: Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment, 2010.
[10] E.Taylor, and P. L Martin, "Human Capital: Migration and Rural Population Change." In Handbook of Agricultural Economics Vol.1 Part 1, edited by Bruce L Gardner and Gordan Rausser, 457-511. New York: Elsevier Science, 2001.
[11] T. Sriyani, "Migration of Sri Lankan Women as Housemaid to the Middle East." Third Annual Interdisciplinary Confernence on Human Trafficking. Lincolin: University of Nebraska , 2011.
[12] P. Wickramasekara, "Asian Labour Migration: Issues and Challenges in an Era of Globalization." Geneva: International Labour Organization, 2002.
[13] P. Wickramasekara, "International Migration and Employment in the Post Reforms Econmy of Sri Lanka." International Migration Papers 107. Geneva: International Labour Office , 2010.