SLBFE provides over Rs. 1 billion in welfare benefits to migrant worker families in 2025

Colombo, Jan. 13 (Daily Mirror) - The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) has provided welfare benefits exceeding Rs. 1 billion in 2025 to overseas Sri Lankan workers and their families, strengthening social protection measures for migrant workers.

From January to November 2025, the Bureau extended assistance amounting to Rs. 964.30 million to 326,246 migrant workers under various welfare schemes. In addition, the SLBFE continued to provide free insurance coverage for Sri Lankans departing for overseas employment, spending Rs. 397 million to insure 318,209 workers during the year.

Educational assistance was also a key focus, with Rs. 50.88 million paid as scholarships to 1,628 schoolchildren of migrant workers. A further Rs. 50.25 million was allocated to provide school equipment for 4,304 children.

The Bureau also incurred expenditure on a range of welfare activities, including compensation for deaths and illnesses occurring during foreign employment, assistance for self-employment upon return to Sri Lanka, health support for family members, the multiple loan scheme, and benefits provided through the Employees’ Welfare Fund.

In parallel, the SLBFE took legal action on behalf of victims of foreign employment fraud and succeeded in recovering more than Rs. 374 million by filing cases on behalf of affected individuals.

To improve public access to services, the Bureau also modernised its 24-hour Information Centre with new facilities, enabling the delivery of a more efficient and reliable service to the public.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka recorded the highest-ever foreign worker remittances in the 40-year history of foreign employment in 2025, with inflows reaching US$ 8.07 billion, equivalent to Rs. 2,432 billion. This represents a 22.8 per cent increase compared to 2024.

In line with a policy decision of the current government to promote the deployment of skilled labour, the Bureau facilitated overseas employment for 311,139 Sri Lankans during the year.