Human Trafficking via BIA
AUG 06 2018
The Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) has now become a hotspot for human trafficking according to Immigration and Emigration Controller Nihal Ranasinghe.
The Immigration and Emigration Controller has made the startling revelation at a time efforts have been strengthened to curb human trafficking globally.
Sri Lanka was a popular spot for human trafficking when the war was in progress over nine years ago. Human traffickers benefitted in a big way by sending civilians from the war-torn Northern and Eastern Provinces and from other parts of the island for nearly three decades.
The human traffickers had an extensive network to extract money in millions of rupees from those who fled the country illegally during the turbulent days.
However, it is shocking to know that despite the stringent measures adopted internationally to deal with human trafficking, the matter has become a big global problem with the BIA remaining the favourite destination of the human traffickers.
However, it is good to know that the Immigration and Emigration Controller has come forward to work out a new strategy to deal with human trafficking from Sri Lanka.
According to the Immigration and Emigration Controller the new strategy which will be introduced to curb human trafficking from Sri Lanka will have a broader network comprising the Immigration and Emigration Department, the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE), intelligence units of the Police and the Armed Forces and the Civil Aviation Authority.
The new strategy is timely and it should be executed in a manner developing proper contacts with other international agencies which have flexed their muscles to thwart human trafficking globally.
Ignorance and negligence of the Immigration and Emigration Department has led Sri Lanka becoming a safe haven for human traffickers with BIA becoming a hotspot for their activities.
The human traffickers thrive on the unstable political and economic situation of a country.
Recent reports on those who seek employment opportunities in Middle East countries indicate how far the innocence of those job seekers has been exploited.
According to Immigration and Emigration Department a recent US State Department report has pointed out that Sri Lankans are among a large number of others from various countries that have ended up in forced labour camps in countries stretching from New Zealand to Egypt and elsewhere.
So, the US State Department report has not only highlighted the plight of the Sri Lankans exploited by the human traffickers, the report also remains an eye-opener to realize how far the Sri Lankan officials remain ignorant about the human trafficking issue.
Therefore, the new strategy to be introduced by the Immigration and Emigration Department should be designed to monitor every aspect of the human trafficking from the grass roots level and coordinate with other law enforcement agencies to nip the menace in the bud.
Apart from strengthening the measures to curb human trafficking activities taking place via airports and the seaports of the island, the Immigration and Emigration Department should also obtain intelligence reports on big time human trafficking operatives and keep track of their accomplices in the country.
From the reports available with regard to human trafficking, it is observed that Sri Lanka is also a centre for human trafficking carried out from other countries in South Asia.
According to the SLBFE, two hundred cases of human trafficking have been detected annually.
However, the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment has pointed out that thousands of persons are known to be leaving the country on bogus claims and the Immigration and Emigration officials should be more vigilant over these illegal departures.
Therefore, the new strategy to be adopted by the Immigration and Emigration Department with the coordination of other law enforcement agencies in the country must ensure that human trafficking from the island is thwarted once and for all.
The Immigration and Emigration Controller has made the startling revelation at a time efforts have been strengthened to curb human trafficking globally.
Sri Lanka was a popular spot for human trafficking when the war was in progress over nine years ago. Human traffickers benefitted in a big way by sending civilians from the war-torn Northern and Eastern Provinces and from other parts of the island for nearly three decades.
The human traffickers had an extensive network to extract money in millions of rupees from those who fled the country illegally during the turbulent days.
However, it is shocking to know that despite the stringent measures adopted internationally to deal with human trafficking, the matter has become a big global problem with the BIA remaining the favourite destination of the human traffickers.
However, it is good to know that the Immigration and Emigration Controller has come forward to work out a new strategy to deal with human trafficking from Sri Lanka.
According to the Immigration and Emigration Controller the new strategy which will be introduced to curb human trafficking from Sri Lanka will have a broader network comprising the Immigration and Emigration Department, the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE), intelligence units of the Police and the Armed Forces and the Civil Aviation Authority.
The new strategy is timely and it should be executed in a manner developing proper contacts with other international agencies which have flexed their muscles to thwart human trafficking globally.
Ignorance and negligence of the Immigration and Emigration Department has led Sri Lanka becoming a safe haven for human traffickers with BIA becoming a hotspot for their activities.
The human traffickers thrive on the unstable political and economic situation of a country.
Recent reports on those who seek employment opportunities in Middle East countries indicate how far the innocence of those job seekers has been exploited.
According to Immigration and Emigration Department a recent US State Department report has pointed out that Sri Lankans are among a large number of others from various countries that have ended up in forced labour camps in countries stretching from New Zealand to Egypt and elsewhere.
So, the US State Department report has not only highlighted the plight of the Sri Lankans exploited by the human traffickers, the report also remains an eye-opener to realize how far the Sri Lankan officials remain ignorant about the human trafficking issue.
Therefore, the new strategy to be introduced by the Immigration and Emigration Department should be designed to monitor every aspect of the human trafficking from the grass roots level and coordinate with other law enforcement agencies to nip the menace in the bud.
Apart from strengthening the measures to curb human trafficking activities taking place via airports and the seaports of the island, the Immigration and Emigration Department should also obtain intelligence reports on big time human trafficking operatives and keep track of their accomplices in the country.
From the reports available with regard to human trafficking, it is observed that Sri Lanka is also a centre for human trafficking carried out from other countries in South Asia.
According to the SLBFE, two hundred cases of human trafficking have been detected annually.
However, the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment has pointed out that thousands of persons are known to be leaving the country on bogus claims and the Immigration and Emigration officials should be more vigilant over these illegal departures.
Therefore, the new strategy to be adopted by the Immigration and Emigration Department with the coordination of other law enforcement agencies in the country must ensure that human trafficking from the island is thwarted once and for all.
