Despite these initiatives, Sri Lanka continues to face a number of challenges in the field of foreign employment such as the vulnerability of workers who migrate under risky and unsafe conditions and the predominance of low-remittance, low-skilled jobs mainly for women with heavy social costs for families.

Considering the situation of vulnerability in which migrant workers and members of their families frequently find themselves owing, among other things, to their absence from their State of origin and to the difficulties they may encounter arising from their presence in the State of employment.

The State thus recognizes the vulnerability of migrant workers, men and women, to discrimination, exploitation and abuse. The State recognizes that this is particularly so in employment that is categorized as low skilled, especially women workers and inadequately regulated sectors of employment.