Sri Lanka plans to grant working visa to Indians due to labour shortage

[Skyline]

Colombo: Facing a shortage of labourers, Sri Lanka plans to grant work visas to Indians to harvest paddy in the country's north and east, a media report said on Sunday. "The government is helpless as our people are leaving the country to work as labourers in West Asia, Singapore, South Korea and Italy," Lankan Agricultural Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena was quoted as saying in the Sunday Times.

He said the Indians were working in the paddy fields in the country's north and east having arrived on tourist visas. "It (the labour shortage) is now spreading to the North-Central and Southern provinces too," he added.

Abeywardena said when the proposal to give work visas to Indians came into force, a request to the Immigration Department should come from the Agriculture or the Labour Ministry. This would also be discussed with the Defence Ministry.

He said the farmer community in the Ampara, Batticaloa, Kilinochchi, Polonnaruwa, Trincomalee and Vavuniya districts had requested District Secretaries to allow South Indians to work in the fields as there was a shortage of labourers. The paper quoted Investment Promotion Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena as saying "We have to bring down labourers on six month visas. Similarly there are many sectors and companies that bring down labourers from India, China, the Maldives and other countries."

Agriculture Ministry Secretary W Sakalasooriya said, "The farmers say that the Indians can be employed on a low wage. They can do more work and these labourers know how to operate the harvesting machines efficiently." Immigration officials said a number of Indian labourers had been arrested for over staying the one month visit visa.

"These Indians are not deported but are sent back to India on humanitarian grounds. They can come back and work in paddy fields," the paper quoted Immigration officer as saying. In 2012, Sri Lanka stopped its on arrival visa policy for citizens other than Singaporeans and Maldivians. Travellers are now required to apply at Lankan missions overseas for on line visit visas for all travel to the island.

Sri Lanka plans to grant working visa to Indians due to labour shortage: Report - India - IBNLive

 

[KRAIT]

Good. Now look how many flock to your country.

If one invites one Indian, 10 reaches.

 

[rockstarIN]

Colombo: Facing a shortage of labourers, Sri Lanka plans to grant work visas to Indians to harvest paddy in the country's north and east, a media report said on Sunday. "The government is helpless as our people are leaving the country to work as labourers in West Asia, Singapore, South Korea and Italy," Lankan Agricultural Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena was quoted as saying in the Sunday Times.

He said the Indians were working in the paddy fields in the country's north and east having arrived on tourist visas. "It (the labour shortage) is now spreading to the North-Central and Southern provinces too," he added.

Abeywardena said when the proposal to give work visas to Indians came into force, a request to the Immigration Department should come from the Agriculture or the Labour Ministry. This would also be discussed with the Defence Ministry.

He said the farmer community in the Ampara, Batticaloa, Kilinochchi, Polonnaruwa, Trincomalee and Vavuniya districts had requested District Secretaries to allow South Indians to work in the fields as there was a shortage of labourers. The paper quoted Investment Promotion Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena as saying "We have to bring down labourers on six month visas. Similarly there are many sectors and companies that bring down labourers from India, China, the Maldives and other countries."

Agriculture Ministry Secretary W Sakalasooriya said, "The farmers say that the Indians can be employed on a low wage. They can do more work and these labourers know how to operate the harvesting machines efficiently." Immigration officials said a number of Indian labourers had been arrested for over staying the one month visit visa.

"These Indians are not deported but are sent back to India on humanitarian grounds. They can come back and work in paddy fields," the paper quoted Immigration officer as saying. In 2012, Sri Lanka stopped its on arrival visa policy for citizens other than Singaporeans and Maldivians. Travellers are now required to apply at Lankan missions overseas for on line visit visas for all travel to the island.

Sri Lanka plans to grant working visa to Indians due to labour shortage: Report - India - IBNLive

I found it really strange, how much SL can pay to Indian workers per month. In Kerala, a non-keralite worker earns around 350-400 per day. Rs-9100 to Rs-12000/- per month and now Kerala got 2.5 million non-keralite workers. Nobody goes to gulf now for labour jobs from north and east India, instead comes to kerala. Can SL pay more than that?

 

[Skyline]

Good. Now look how many flock to your country.

If one invites one Indian, 10 reaches.

TN Tamils are already illegally working here, I heard 5-6 arresting incidents in the previous months in my area. so the making legal process to foreigners to work in our country legally will make these in better way. I personally like if we give this chances to some other countries too.

 

[KRAIT]

TN Tamils are already illegally working here, I heard 5-6 arresting incidents in the previous months in my area. so the making legal process to foreigners to work in our country legally will make these in better way. I personally like if we give this chances to some other countries too.

Yup. If they are already coming in, why not allow them legally. At least that will help you in keeping stats of the immigration.

Also, Sri Lanka is a growing economy, and Indian start-ups and small business owners are also looking for new market. Large business will increase their operations as they can now send their employees more and if Sri Lanka govt. strikes a deal through law about % of foreign employees, Sri Lankan employees will have good knowledge transfer.

Knowledge transfer and inter-linked economy helps a lot especially to the country which is smaller market. But Si Lanka has to make good policies and restrictions to not let its economy too dependent on foreign employees.

 

[Skyline]

I found it really strange, how much SL can pay to Indian workers per month. In Kerala, a non-keralite worker earns around 350-400 per day. Rs-9100 to Rs-12000/- per month and now Kerala got 2.5 million non-keralite workers. Nobody goes to gulf now for labour jobs from north and east India, instead comes to kerala. Can SL pay more than that?

350 INR = 6.45 US $ (per day)
If so then why Indian poverty percentage is so high?

 

[Star Wars]

Lets Fill Srilanka with Indians .. 10 - 15 years down the line we need enough influence in all important positions inside Sri Lanka

 

[rockstarIN]

350 INR = 6.45 US $ (per day)
If so then why Indian poverty percentage is so high?

Well, this is relatively new phenomenon and not available in all the states.

 

[danger007]

350 INR = 6.45 US $ (per day)
If so then why Indian poverty percentage is so high?

Non engineers- construction workers get from 300 to 600 daily, mestris and labor...

 

[Ayush]

good for both the countries.

 

[navtrek]

TN Tamils are already illegally working here, I heard 5-6 arresting incidents in the previous months in my area. so the making legal process to foreigners to work in our country legally will make these in better way. I personally like if we give this chances to some other countries too.

The problem is Pay and Culture! Tamils would feel more comfortable working there than any other country u name (Other people will only find themselves out of place).

 

[ChennaiSKing]

TN Tamils are already illegally working here, I heard 5-6 arresting incidents in the previous months in my area. so the making legal process to foreigners to work in our country legally will make these in better way. I personally like if we give this chances to some other countries too.

what is the salary offered for labours in Srilanka??, because I don't understand the reason that farm labours are going form Tamil Nadu to work in Srilanak, because my Father In Law is having construction business in a small city called Coimbatore and 50% of the labour force are from Bihar and UP, we find it very difficult to get local guys, and the mason salary per day is Rs. 650 to Rs.850 and helper is getting Rs.500 to Rs.600...

I request you to post the labour salary offered in Srilanka because I find it very amusing to read labours from Tamil Nadu are coming to work in Srilanka...!!!

 

[BDforever]

damn, Sri lanka giving jobs to India

 

[ChennaiSKing]

350 INR = 6.45 US $ (per day)
If so then why Indian poverty percentage is so high?

dude we have two states UP and Bihar where almost 30% of India's population are residing, and these two states are least developed and it's dragging the over all development index of India to lower, on the other hand all the four southern states are relatively wealthy and even will surpass Srilanka in most of the developmet index, also states like Gujarat, Punjab are way ahead in many development index compared to the entire region...

 

[acid rain]

If they have shortage of workers they can ask their millions of people working in Gulf and other countries to come back and work in Sri Lanka. Many Sri Lankans work in India too I guess.