Labour Minister directs crackdown on fraudulent foreign employment schemes

April 25, Colombo (LNW): Labour and Foreign Employment Minister Manusha Nanayakkara has directed officials of the criminal investigation department of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) to rigorously enforce the law against individuals engaged in fraudulent activities related to collecting money under false pretenses of providing foreign employment opportunities.

Following consultations with the investigative team affiliated with the Ministry, Minister Nanayakkara conveyed to the media the importance of lodging complaints with the SLBFE’s complaints section in instances where individuals have been victims of such fraudulent schemes.

This would enable legal action to be taken against the perpetrators, the Minister emphasised.

Furthermore, Nanayakkara instructed officials to take proactive measures to curb any illicit activities associated with the solicitation of funds under the guise of offering foreign employment opportunities.

In light of recent complaints, including an incident involving a police sergeant and a Buddhist monk near Anuradhapura, who allegedly engaged in fraudulent money collection for purported foreign job placements, Minister Nanayakkara underscored the necessity for thorough investigations.

He stressed that only licenced foreign employment agencies are authorised to receive payments for facilitating foreign employment opportunities.

Any unauthorised collection of funds in this regard is illegal and subject to strict legal action, he added.