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A.R.B.J Rajapaksha
A.R.B.J Rajapaksha
Mar 20 2026
67- 1,163 licensed agencies suspended
The number of complaints received against foreign employment agencies between 2020 and 2025 stand at 10,654, the number of cases filed by the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) against foreign employment agencies over various irregularities during the same period amounts to only 1,977, it is learnt.
Data provided by SLBFE in response to a request made by The Daily Morning under the Right to Information Act, No. 12 of 2016, show that 743 complaints were recorded in 2020, followed by 447 in 2021 and 745 in 2022. The number rose sharply in subsequent years, with 1,904 complaints in 2023, 3,356 in 2024, and 3,459 in 2025, reflecting a significant increase in grievances lodged against licensed foreign employment agencies.
The number of agencies suspended over irregularities also fluctuated during this period. The data also reveal that a total of 42 agencies were suspended in 2020 and 20 in 2021, while 22 suspensions were recorded in 2022 and 42 again in 2023. The figure spiked dramatically to 1,003 in 2024 before dropping to only 34 in 2025.
SLBFE has initiated legal action through the Police or the Criminal Investigation Department against 90 agencies in 2022. This increased to 182 in 2023 and surged to 900 in 2024, before declining slightly to 805 in 2025.
Irregular practices by foreign employment agencies have been a continuing issue, with complaints including the charging of excessive fees, false promises of jobs, and instances where workers are left without employment after making payments. There have also been reports of contract substitutions, unsafe working conditions overseas, and difficulties faced by workers in seeking compensation or any form of redress after returning to Sri Lanka.
The situation worsened following Sri Lanka’s economic crisis, as more people began seeking jobs abroad in search of stable incomes. The sharp increase in those leaving for foreign employment has placed added strain on regulatory systems, creating more room for exploitative practices and leaving many job seekers vulnerable.
SLBFE stated however that during the five-month period from October 2025 to February this year, legal action was initiated against individuals and unlicensed foreign employment agencies involved in fraudulent scams falsely promising overseas employment opportunities, with over Rs. 194.5 million recovered and refunded to the affected victims.
A special unit comprising Police officers was established within the Bureau in September 2025 to strengthen legal action against foreign employment fraudsters, based on the initiative of the Deputy Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment Minister Arun Hemachandra. Accordingly, a total of 244 cases have been filed before courts against foreign employment fraudsters during the past five months, while the BFE has received a total of 2,081 complaints within the same period.
Source - The Morning
