Book Launch & Discussion: South Asian Labour Migration at Hilton Colombo

The book “Labour Migrants from South Asia: Issues and Concerns” was officially launched on November 12 at the Hilton Colombo. Mr. Sumith Nakandala, former Secretary of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), graced the event as the Chief Guest, while Western Provincial Council Chief Secretary Ms. Dammika K. Wijesinghe attended as the Guest of Honour.

The book compiles insights and policy recommendations from a pivotal regional seminar on labour migration issues in South Asia earlier this year.

The event was jointly organized by the Consortium of South Asian Think Tanks (COSATT), the Political Dialogue Asia Programme of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) and the Institute of National Security Studies (INSS) under the Ministry of Defence, Sri Lanka. The event was arranged in Sri Lanka under the vision of the Director, COSATT Dr. Nishchal N. Pandey. In addition, contribution from members of the COSATT and KAS were significant to successfully conduct the event in Sri Lanka in Liaison with the INSS.

The book is an outcome of proceedings from the conference held on April 23, 2024, by the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS), in collaboration with COSATT and KAS. At this occasion, Director of Media and Spokesperson for Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defence and Overlooking Director General and Acting Director (Research)—INSS, Colonel Nalin Herath, provided Sri Lanka’s perspective on labour migration, highlighting both its economic potential and the social challenges it presents.

The newly launched book offers in-depth analysis and policy guidance, reflecting the collective expertise of South Asian scholars and policymakers. This publication is intended to foster continued regional dialogue and cooperation to ensure safe, fair, and equitable labour migration practices.

During the discussion, important points were highlighted deriving from the launched book to understand what labour migrants do, such as their contribution to national and global economies, filling global labour gaps, creating employment opportunities, remittances, and increasing GDP at the national level.

Distinguished guests who participated in the event included senior officials from the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Labour and Foreign Employment, members of the diplomatic corps representing South Asian countries, renowned academics and civil society personnel, and representatives from think tanks.