After a spate of arrests of illegal migrants during the past few months, the Navy arrested 91 persons on Tuesday (7) for allegedly attempting to leave the country via sea. This was during two separate raids over which 15 and 76 persons, including children, were arrested.
Challenges pertaining to illegal migrants are not a new development in Sri Lanka. However, during the past few months, there has been a marked increase in the number of people leaving the country through both official, legal channels and risky, illegal methods. The situation of illegal migrants, however, seems to be worsening at an unexpected level, with living conditions in the country declining.
People’s desire to leave the country for greener pastures is understandable and justifiable. However, the need for better living conditions has tragically overpowered the necessity for some level of safety measures during these trips at sea, and these would-be migrants are in a situation where they have to ignore the risks their attempts involve.
As the number of people trying to leave the country is increasing, especially through illegal methods, the Government, and law enforcement and defence authorities, must augment their efforts to stop such attempts.
However, they have to stop looking at this matter as a mere illegal activity, and instead, pay some attention to the fact that this is more or less a result of the humanitarian crisis that is gradually unfolding as a result of the economic and political crises. Instead of looking at these illegal migrants as offenders, we should perhaps start looking at them as victims of circumstance, because most of them simply want to leave a country that does not ensure satisfactory living conditions.
At the same time, the law enforcement authorities should pay more attention to traffickers, who, under the guise of helping vulnerable Sri Lankans to go to a better country, are benefitting from the situation. One major concern in this regard is the risks associated with illegal migration, which is not at all a concern for traffickers. What is more, in the recent past, several incidents of fraud were reported, where traffickers charged people to send them abroad via boat, but did not provide that service.
In addition, it is vital to understand that dealing with this issue is not just a matter of arresting migrants or traffickers. The Government and the relevant authorities must take innovative measures to discourage people from seeking the assistance of traffickers to leave the country. Raising awareness about the risks associated with illegal migration methods, especially those taking place via sea, assisting skilled and qualified illegal migrants to find foreign employment opportunities through legal methods, assisting interested individuals from poverty stricken communities to obtain qualifications to find foreign employment opportunities, providing assistance to find jobs within the country when possible, and providing counselling for those in need, can be some short-term measures to protect the vulnerable from risking their lives and losing their savings trying to leave the country.
Under the prevailing circumstances, the amount of Sri Lankans wanting to leave the country is almost impossible to curtail unless the country returns to normalcy soon. Even though the Government has taken some promising steps to revive the economy, a full recovery will take time, and in this context, the least that the Government can do is to assist vulnerable communities to leave via legal means, while systematically addressing their issues in the country to convince them to stay.
Asking people to remain in the country without providing them any solutions, or at least paying proper attention to their concerns, is certainly not the way to stop illegal migration. Humanitarian issues require humane solutions, and merely arresting and taking legal action against people will not curb this trend of illegal migration.Handling illegal migrants humanely
09 Jun 2022
Handling illegal migrants humanely
09 Jun 2022
After a spate of arrests of illegal migrants during the past few months, the Navy arrested 91 persons on Tuesday (7) for allegedly attempting to leave the country via sea. This was during two separate raids over which 15 and 76 persons, including children, were arrested.
Challenges pertaining to illegal migrants are not a new development in Sri Lanka. However, during the past few months, there has been a marked increase in the number of people leaving the country through both official, legal channels and risky, illegal methods. The situation of illegal migrants, however, seems to be worsening at an unexpected level, with living conditions in the country declining.
People’s desire to leave the country for greener pastures is understandable and justifiable. However, the need for better living conditions has tragically overpowered the necessity for some level of safety measures during these trips at sea, and these would-be migrants are in a situation where they have to ignore the risks their attempts involve.
As the number of people trying to leave the country is increasing, especially through illegal methods, the Government, and law enforcement and defence authorities, must augment their efforts to stop such attempts.
However, they have to stop looking at this matter as a mere illegal activity, and instead, pay some attention to the fact that this is more or less a result of the humanitarian crisis that is gradually unfolding as a result of the economic and political crises. Instead of looking at these illegal migrants as offenders, we should perhaps start looking at them as victims of circumstance, because most of them simply want to leave a country that does not ensure satisfactory living conditions.
At the same time, the law enforcement authorities should pay more attention to traffickers, who, under the guise of helping vulnerable Sri Lankans to go to a better country, are benefitting from the situation. One major concern in this regard is the risks associated with illegal migration, which is not at all a concern for traffickers. What is more, in the recent past, several incidents of fraud were reported, where traffickers charged people to send them abroad via boat, but did not provide that service.
In addition, it is vital to understand that dealing with this issue is not just a matter of arresting migrants or traffickers. The Government and the relevant authorities must take innovative measures to discourage people from seeking the assistance of traffickers to leave the country. Raising awareness about the risks associated with illegal migration methods, especially those taking place via sea, assisting skilled and qualified illegal migrants to find foreign employment opportunities through legal methods, assisting interested individuals from poverty stricken communities to obtain qualifications to find foreign employment opportunities, providing assistance to find jobs within the country when possible, and providing counselling for those in need, can be some short-term measures to protect the vulnerable from risking their lives and losing their savings trying to leave the country.
Under the prevailing circumstances, the amount of Sri Lankans wanting to leave the country is almost impossible to curtail unless the country returns to normalcy soon. Even though the Government has taken some promising steps to revive the economy, a full recovery will take time, and in this context, the least that the Government can do is to assist vulnerable communities to leave via legal means, while systematically addressing their issues in the country to convince them to stay.
Asking people to remain in the country without providing them any solutions, or at least paying proper attention to their concerns, is certainly not the way to stop illegal migration. Humanitarian issues require humane solutions, and merely arresting and taking legal action against people will not curb this trend of illegal migration.Kapruka
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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!