Family background report for Housemaids should remain: JVP

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) yesterday urged the government to suspend the decision to remove family background report needed for women when migrating and claimed that it was a plot by the job agencies.

JVP MP Sunil Handunnetti told parliament that the incidents of migrating women who have children less than five years old had declined after introducing the family background report.

“Former minister introduced this after considering some facts. It had benefited not only women but also children as well,” he said.

Foreign Employment Deputy Minister Manusha Nanayakkara said the Cabinet paper was brought to remove the family background report as sevaral incidents were reported that women were migrating as housemaids on visit visa and pressure from international organizations that it was violation of women’s human rights.

“We do not hope to encourage women migration through this move. We wanted to introduce new laws and a proper mechanism for women migration as it leads to serious issues when they migrate on visit visa. We do not have any records of women migrating illeagally and cannot provide redress when they face any distress overseas,” he said.

The deputy minister said however the Cabinet approval was not granted to it and added that the President had appointed a cabinet-subcommittee to look into it.

MP Handunnetti said there was no connection with women migration on visit visa and family background report and said it was a plot by the job agencies to send women as housemaids for their profits.

“Do not get caught to these inhuman job agencies and remove this family background report,” he asked.

Women and Child Affairs Minister Chandrani Bandara said she was also against the move to remove family background report and stressed the need to stop sending women as housemaids completely.