COLOMBO: The International Organization on Migration (IOM) is ready to give more support to Sri Lanka to counter human trafficking and people smuggling operations, by providing training and capacity building.
The support has been extended to the Ministries of Foreign Employment and Foreign Affairs, and to the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau (SLBFE), the Sri Lankan embasy in Geneva said in a statement.
“It was agreed to extend cooperation in the areas of countering human trafficking and people smuggling operations, providing short-term internship opportunities with the IOM for the relevant officials as well as supporting the upgrading of the consular services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”
The IOM also pledged to continue technical and secretarial support for the Colombo Process (CP) – the regional consultative forum of contractual labour originating countries in Asia, currently chaired by Sri Lanka.
The support was promised when Minister of Foreign Employment Thalatha Atukorale attended the 6th Global Meeting of Chairs and Secretaries of Regional Consultative Processes on Migration in Geneva.
She met with the Director General of IOM Ambassador William Lacy Swing to discuss and follow up progress on Sri Lanka’s bilateral cooperation with the IOM.
