No foreign jobs for women below 25

Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said the Government imposed a total ban on sending mothers of infants below five years as housemaids in foreign countries as it has resulted in discontented workers as well as social problems back home. Bogollagama said in the future only women who are above 25 years would be granted permission for overseas deployment.

He was addressing a press conference in the capital city Riyadh of oil rich Saudi Arabia where thousands of Sri Lankans are employed. `This is not only because of their discontented life here but it also creates social problems back home,` he said. He said homesickness has been identified as the main cause of labour problems of Sri Lankan housemaids working in Saudi Arabia. The minister added, `A housemaid who came here leaving a five-month-old baby ran away from her workplace because she desperately wanted to see her child.`

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