Sri Lanka Ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman Ameer Ajwad inaugurated the issuance of No Objection Certificates (NOC) as an initiative to curb irregular and undocumented migration of Sri Lankan female domestic workers to Oman.
Handing over the NOCs to the employers who have completed the ‘new procedure’ introduced by the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Oman for the recruitment of Sri Lankan female domestic workers, Ambassador Ameer Ajwad said that this initiative will help to prevent the trafficking of irregular and undocumented Sri Lankan female domestic workers into Oman. Some unscrupulous recruitment agencies/individuals bring vulnerable Sri Lankan women for employment under the category of visit visas in order to avoid their mandatory pre-departure employment training as well as other mandatory requirements regulated by the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau (SLBFE). The NOC, as a pre-requisite to obtain employment visas for the Sri Lankan female domestic workers, is purported to safeguard the interests of both the employers and employees as well as to combat trafficking of female migrant workers. The implementation of this initiative provides a big relief for the vulnerable Sri Lankan female migrant domestic workers and their families and sends a great message on the occasion of the International Migrants Day which falls on 18 December 2020 Ambassador Ameer Ajwad added.
Embassy of Sri Lanka in the Sultanate of Oman introduced a ‘new procedure’ with effect from 1st October 2020, in coordination with the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) and the relevant Omani authorities. According to the new procedure, Directorate General of Passports & Residence of Royal Oman Police issues employment visas to the Sri Lankan female domestic workers only if the Recruitment Agencies or Individual Sponsors submit the “No Objection Certificate” (NOC) issued by the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Muscat together with the employment contract of each Sri Lankan female domestic worker. The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Oman issues the “No Objection Certificate” (NOC) free of charge.
Ambassador Ameer Ajwad extended his sincere appreciation and gratitude to the Foreign Ministry, Ministry of Labour of the Sultanate of Oman as well as the Directorate General of Passports & Residence of Royal Oman Police for their unwavering support to implement this NOC procedure for the mutual benefits.
Embassy of Sri Lanka
Muscat
22 December 2020
