Best practices in social insurance for migrant workers: The case of Sri Lanka

Abstract

This paper discusses the social insurance schemes available to migrant workers from Sri Lanka. As of end 2006, the stock of overseas Sri Lankan workers was estimated at 1.5 million, roughly 20 per cent of the labour force, with the majority being women working as housemaids. Measures to protect these workers are mainly overseen by the government through the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment and include pre-departure training, skills training, the issuance of model contracts, appointment of labour attaches and welfare officers, and the establishment of the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Fund. The paper argues that these measures have had positive benefits for migrants and serve as a model for other countries which face similar circumstances. At the same time, it draws attention to several challenges that need to be addressed in order to further strengthen these measures.