- 340,000 Sri Lankans expected to seek foreign employment in 2025
The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) anticipates that approximately 340,000 Sri Lankans will migrate for foreign employment in 2025.
SLBFE Chairman Kosala Wickramasinghe revealed this during the inaugural session of an awareness program for licensed foreign employment agents.
Speaking at the event, SLBFE General Manager D. D. P. Senanayake stated that the country expects to receive USD 7 billion in foreign remittances from migrant workers in 2025.
In 2024, around 314,000 Sri Lankans have already traveled abroad for employment, contributing USD 6.51 billion in foreign remittances, according to Senanayake.
Of those who secured foreign employment in 2024, 65 percent were in professional job categories, while 35 percent were in lower-skilled occupations. For 2025, the SLBFE aims to increase the percentage of professional workers to 75 percent, reducing the share of lower-skilled workers to 25 percent.
As part of the 2025 foreign employment plans, Sri Lanka expects to send
– 84,000 workers to Kuwait,
– 55,000 to the United Arab Emirates,
– 52,000 to Saudi Arabia.
Additionally, the SLBFE has planned direct employment placements for
– 15,900 workers in Israel,
– 9,000 in Japan,
– 8,000 in South Korea.
