HIV and Migration Country Profile 2009: Sri Lanka

Migration within Sri Lanka and to other countries for employment is an economic necessity for many households in Sri Lanka. The main destinations for Sri Lankan migrant workers are the Gulf region (mainly Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar)  ‐  which hires 90% of the Sri Lanka migrant work force  ‐  and other countries in the Asia Pacific. Sri Lankan migrant workers have been going to these regions for employment for the past 20 years. Over half of all migrant workers are female, 91% of whom were employed as domestic workers. However, in recent years, there has been a growing trend towards supplying semi‐skilled labour to the Gulf region due to its improved educational attainment and construction boom.