Strap: Kuwait, South Korea, Israel, Romania, Japan the preferred destinations, remittances for Jan-Feb. $ 964 m 

Approximately 75,000 Sri Lankan workers have migrated to foreign countries within the first three months of this year, according to the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE).

The Bureau said that as many as 74,499 Sri Lankans left the country in the first quarter of the year as opposed to 76,025 Lankans who went abroad for work in the first three months of last year (2023). Among them, 34,599 were women and they constituted 46% of the total number.

A large number of Sri Lankans have reportedly migrated to Kuwait, and it adds up to 17,793. The SLBFE said that in comparison to previous years, Sri Lankans now tend to seek job opportunities in countries like South Korea, Israel, and Japan. As per the figures, 2,374 Sri Lankans left for South Korea, while 2,114 departed for Israel, 1,899 for Romania, and 1,947 for Japan within the first quarter of the year.

Meanwhile, in the first two months of 2024 alone, Sri Lankan migrant workers’ remittances were recorded at $ 963.8 million, the SLBFE added.