January 06, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka is preparing to significantly scale up overseas employment placements in 2026, setting a goal of 350,000 foreign job opportunities after migrant workers delivered an unprecedented boost to the economy last year.
Addressing journalists in Colombo, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment Vijitha Herath said remittances in 2025 reached an all-time high, comfortably exceeding previous records.
He explained that inflows from Sri Lankans working abroad are estimated to have climbed to around US$ 7.8 billion by the end of the year, overtaking the former peak recorded nearly a decade ago.
According to the Minister, remittance earnings had already crossed US$ 7.19 billion by November, supported by steady monthly inflows averaging between US$ 650 million and US$ 700 million. When combined with tourism revenue of roughly US$ 3.2 billion, foreign employment and travel together injected close to US$ 11 billion into the economy, offering vital support to the country’s external finances.
Official figures show that just over 310,000 Sri Lankans left for employment overseas in 2025, a marginal decline from the previous year’s record. However, authorities stress that the overall profile of employment has improved, with a growing share of workers securing better-paid positions and more formal contracts.
Deputy Minister Arun Hemachandra noted that while Kuwait continued to be the single largest destination, departures there remained largely unchanged. The United Arab Emirates, by contrast, recorded a marked increase in recruitment, reflecting rising demand in construction, services and technical fields. Saudi Arabia and Qatar both saw fewer Sri Lankan arrivals, continuing a downward trend observed over the past year.
Encouragingly, the government’s push to diversify labour markets appears to be gaining traction. Placements in countries such as Israel, Japan and Romania rose sharply, particularly in agriculture, construction and skilled industries.
Officials say this shift towards higher-income and non-traditional destinations will be central to the overseas employment strategy for 2026, as Sri Lanka looks to sustain remittance growth while improving worker welfare.
