Vulnerable Sri Lankan youth continue to be exploited by human traffickers, with many forced into occupations that they did not sign up for or pressed into criminal activity by crime groups overseas. While Sri Lanka has made strides in combatting human trafficking, gaps in awareness and desperation to find employment overseas continues to make Sri Lankans vulnerable to exploitation, it is learnt. The National Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force (NAHTTF), in coordination with the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Public Security, and with support from international bodies like the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and others, has been making progress on improving Sri Lanka’s anti-trafficking measures. Such action, especially on awareness building and streamlining law enforcement approaches to the issue, is commendable. However, desperation amongst young people for foreign employment and prevailing economic conditions continue to provide fertile ground for traffickers to exploit.
It is learnt that there are concerns about Sri Lankan youth travelling overseas on visit visas on the promise that once they reach their destination, they will be able to convert their visitor visa to a work visa or be issued a new work category visa. According to officials close to the matter, there are concerns that the traffickers are evolving their modus operandi as law enforcement and awareness improves. Traffickers and their crime ring agents persuade ‘would-be victims’ by introducing them to a group of Sri Lankan accomplices who get in touch via social media or messaging applications and who encourage victims with success stories, which makes vulnerable youth believe in the process.
Once the victims commit to the illegal course of action and travel to a foreign nation on a visit visa – be it Thailand or Malaysia in Southeast Asia or Dubai in West Asia – they find that they are abandoned in the venture, with no access to convert their visa to gain working rights in the country. It is then that the real face of the traffickers is revealed to the victims, with the crime groups threatening the victims or smuggling them across borders to be sold into labour to the many illegal operations which would have use of them. Alone, and in a legal conundrum due to their entry to the State on tourist/visit visa, many of the victims find themselves at the mercy of the traffickers and end up working in various grey/black industries or are forced to exploit others through cybercrime operations like those reported from Myanmar. A few brave souls have managed to get in touch with local authorities and the NAHTTF in Colombo and have been assisted to get to safety or have been rescued with aid from local authorities in the countries where they were held. There have been several success stories where Sri Lankan officials, with help from the IOM and other regional and foreign national agencies, have repatriated a number of victims. However, the NAHTTF can only act on cases that the public or victims report. There is a fear that some victims who go unreported may remain stuck in a varying spectrum of abuse and hardship.
Earlier this month, the IOM formally submitted a key recommendation report to inform the development of Sri Lanka’s forthcoming National Strategic Action Plan to Monitor and Combat Human Trafficking (2026–2030). The recommendations were presented to the Ministry of Defence and the Chair of the NAHTTF by IOM Chief of Mission for Sri Lanka and the Maldives Kristin Parco. Remarking on Sri Lanka’s efforts to combat human trafficking, Parco remarked: “Sri Lanka has made commendable progress in addressing human trafficking, but evolving challenges demand a forward-looking and inclusive strategy.” The IOM Chief of Mission added: “These recommendations are designed to support the Government’s efforts to build a resilient, victim-centred framework that aligns with international standards. The IOM is committed to extending continued support to the Government of Sri Lanka in furthering national efforts to prevent human trafficking.”
A whole-of-Government approach is needed to build awareness and address the issue of human trafficking and exploitation. It is time for the Government to build on the existing mechanisms and stay one step ahead of criminal elements who prey on our vulnerable citizens.