CID launches probe into alleged human trafficking under ‘E8 visa’ scheme

Colombo, December 18 (Daily Mirror) - The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has launched an investigation into the alleged E-8 visa scandal of sending persons for employment to South Korea.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment Arun Hemachandra said that the Chairman of the Foreign Employment Bureau had filed a complaint with the CID and that investigations are already underway.

He emphasised that the first priority of the newly elected government was to address the errors made by previous administrations in various sectors, including the Foreign Employment Bureau, and that corrective actions are being taken now.

These remarks were made during a programme organised by the Voice of Migrant Network (VoM) to celebrate International Migrants' Day, which falls on December 18.

Earlier, the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) had claimed that the ‘E8 visa’ system was being illegally maintained without proper employment contracts, reportedly due to the direct intervention of a former Minister.

According to the SLBFE, the issuing of E8 visas for short-term seasonal employment in South Korea lacks a legal framework.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister also addressed the issue of appointments to the diplomatic service based on political affiliations. 

He said that a significant number of individuals who were appointed for political reasons had already been recalled. 

"In the future, we will ensure that only qualified individuals are appointed to the diplomatic service," he said.