Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa yesterday (08) joined protesting job seekers near Parliament, demanding an immediate overhaul of state foreign employment schemes.
He addressed members of the Israel Infrastructure Lottery Applicants Collective gathered at the Polduwa junction in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte.
He condemned the government policy on overseas employment as fundamentally weak and ineffective.
He stated that the current state mechanism has allowed an exploitative employment mafia to shatter the aspirations of thousands of Sri Lankans seeking work abroad.
Disparity in recruitment systems
Applicants in the infrastructure sector have been denied job placements for two years despite successfully passing eligibility tests and obtaining police clearances.
Currently, 560 qualified individuals remain on waiting lists, while a further 1,200 applicants are trapped in a lottery selection process.
This slow pace of state-run programs contrasts sharply with the rapid processing of private recruitment agencies.
A severe cost disparity exists across these channels, as applicants going through state channels spend approximately Rs. 1 million compared to the Rs. 3.5 million charged by private agencies.
This price difference fosters widespread corruption, financial exploitation, and cheating within the recruitment sector.
Similar systemic obstacles previously affected more than 3,500 construction sector workers who faced extended delays under state schemes.
Demands for legislative intervention
The Opposition Leader pledged to raise the grievances of the stranded job seekers directly on the floor of Parliament.
He urged the government to honour its promises of systemic change by dismantling corrupt recruitment networks.
Calling for the implementation of a transparent selection framework that guarantees overseas placements at the official Rs 1 million rate, he demanded an immediate end to deceptive political practices in foreign employment management.
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