Increasing Significance of Migration in Sri Lanka

Increasing Significance of Migration in Sri Lanka

Students from Sri Lanka are increasingly interested in immigrating, especially the younger generation. 

Many Sri Lankans are now contemplating leaving the country, a discussion that has been gaining traction in the past few months. According to an investigation by the Sunday Times, a number of factors have led to this, including job security issues and lapses in education. Yet, there is an even bigger issue, which is that there is a substantial group among those who want to leave who have never considered migration. Additionally, the number of visa inquiries has doubled since the lockdown was lifted on the island. 

Those between the ages of 28 and 35 are the most enthusiastic about migrating from Sri Lanka. According to the companies, family units have been migrating more frequently than individuals. Considering their higher quality of living, Canada, Australia, the UK and New Zealand were among the top choices.

Since the mid-1990s, Sri Lanka has seen the number of migrants tenfold, and current estimates indicate that approximately 1.7 million people are working abroad. About 200,000 migrants leave the country each year.

The factors behind migration from Sri Lanka can be broadly categorized as follows (IOM and IPS 2008):

  • for settlement—mostly the skilled personnel;

  • for economic reasons (for work)—skilled, semi-skilled and low-skilled personnel;

  • for political reasons—mainly as refugees or asylum seekers;

  • for educational purposes—mainly for undergraduate and postgraduate studies;

  • Statistics according to the UN Situation Report 

International student mobility accounts for a significant amount of cross-border movement. Sri Lankan students are increasingly taking advantage of employment opportunities and residency opportunities in developed countries in order to pursue higher education there. The majority of these students eventually settle permanently in these countries. There is a high out-migration rate among Sri Lanka's population with tertiary education within the subregion of South East Asia. It was estimated in a World Bank (2010) report that 28.2 percent of tertiary-educated individuals emigrated in 2000 alone. 

According to various agencies that issue student visas, Sri Lankan students are also seeking opportunities overseas, primarily in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, in addition to international migration to OECD countries. 

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(https://www.ihp.lk/publications/docs/SLOTSReport20210ENG.pdf)