Suraksha safe houses Unregistered house maids will not be accepted from April 1: SLBFE

• Suraksha Safe houses have been established under the labour welfare  sections of foreign embassies for women

By Chaturanga Pradeep Samarawickrama  

The Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau has decided to suspend the acceptance of women for Suraksha safe houses from April 1, the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) said.   

It said the women who went abroad for employment through various illegal means without registering with the SLBFE and arriving at embassies facing problems at workplaces would not be accepted by the Suraksha safe houses.  

The Suraksha Safe houses have been established under the labour welfare sections of foreign embassies for women, who have left the country for foreign employment under the registration of the SLBFE.  

Although these shelters were established only for women who have gone abroad for legitimate employment until now, the SLBFE has been working to provide all necessary welfare facilities from safe houses to the women who went abroad without registering with the Bureau, as well.  

“However, by the time of receiving these women at the Suraksha safe houses, they are involved in various legal issues where even the Police had to get involved to control the situation,” an official said.  

The SLBFE had taken a decision to suspend the acceptance of women migrant workers who had gone without registering with the SLBFE for Suraksha safe houses from April 1. by the time of receiving these women at the Suraksha safe houses, they  are involved in various legal issues where even the Police had to get  involved to control the situation.