This week, after a consolidated diplomatic effort, Sri Lanka managed to get the Myanmar junta to rescue eight Sri Lankans who were held hostage and forced to work in cybercrime sweatshops under the penalty of torture.  As the situation in Myanmar continues to spiral out of control, more Sri Lankans remain trapped in such illegal operations, near the Myanmar- Thailand border. 

It is reported that the eight Sri Lankans who were ‘rescued’ were part of a group of 56 who are known to be held in the Myawaddy border area in Myanmar. This is an indication that Sri Lanka is not yet fully apprised of the ground situation, with the possibility of many Sri Lankans who are victims of human trafficking, either unable to report their situation, or unregistered with Sri Lankan missions in the country or area.  As such, the scope of the issue may well be much larger, with the 56 known Sri Lankans being the tip of the iceberg.

Yesterday, the Foreign Affairs Ministry stated that Sri Lankans continue to enter Myanmar through various illegal means and by using open visas in search of work, despite previous warnings given by domestic and international agencies. The fact that Sri Lankans are willing to risk entry into high-risk countries, with a known possibility of becoming victims of human trafficking is indicative of how naïve some Sri Lankans are, and sadly how desperate many are in today’s economic crisis hit island homeland, to leave hoping for ‘something better’. People, including well-educated adults continuing to travel to such destinations, despite media reports of trafficking and exploitation, and warnings from the Government and international agencies, points to the unbearable living conditions some Sri Lankans are finding themselves in today. While some state officials, policymakers and foreign diplomats may trumpet Sri Lanka as a ‘recovery-success story’, incidents like what is happening in Myanmar, and the fact that Sri Lankan ex-combatants are taking flight to join combat operations with Ukrainian and Russian forces, as mercenaries, paint a different picture.     

Speaking in Parliament yesterday (5), the Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabry stated that three Sri Lankans had left for Myanmar from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, via Bangkok, Thailand last week, despite widespread publicity and warnings about Sri Lankans who have become victims of human trafficking rackets and are detained in Myanmar. Minister Sabry also warned individuals not to visit any nation on open visas, noting that they should only emigrate for jobs through agencies that are registered with the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE). He stated that a group of Tamil-speaking people from Jaffna were recently trapped in a similar situation, since the recent tragedy received widespread awareness only in the Sinhala media, and he therefore emphasised the importance of awareness campaigns regarding such incidents and the threat of human trafficking in Tamil language as well.

With the mass migration which began in 2022 following the political turmoil and the economic crisis, hundreds of thousands of Sri Lankan citizens have left our shores in search of greener pastures. However, the reality is that there are many in Sri Lanka and outside who are poised to exploit these vulnerable groups. The Government clearly needs to have a whole of government approach to mitigate the threats that Lankans face overseas, and build awareness. 

Sri Lanka also needs to urgently establish a Sri Lankan citizen’s registry, where Sri Lankans, perhaps even those who have migrated through illegal means can come on board voluntarily. This may create some legal issues, but Sri Lanka’s focus should be on ensuring Sri Lankan expatriates wellbeing, first, and deal with breach of laws as a secondary matter. This is especially needed at present, perhaps it need not be a long-term requirement to make visa status mandatory for Lankans overseas to register. With Sri Lanka spending little on its diplomatic apparatus, which is also understaffed by professional Foreign Service officers, the responsibility for this task cannot be placed on the shoulders of the Foreign Ministry alone, there needs to be synergy with the Labour Ministry, Foreign Employment Bureau, the Ministries of Public Security and Defence, and others. Perhaps, Sri Lanka should move to sanction Sri Lankan expat groups to collect data and help with networking for Sri Lankans in trouble? Surely, there are many who would help out. Irrespective of what tools are used, and who is entrusted with the responsibility, it is clear that the Government needs to take this issue seriously and move in a unified effort to curb it. Let’s not let the ‘legendary efficiency’ of the Sri Lankan bureaucracy shelf this issue to collect dust. Act now.