However, following the effecting of death sentence on Rizana Nafique, a child housemaid who
migrated on a forged document prepared as a result of loopholes in current laws and their
implementation, the Commission decided to take enhanced measures to secure the protection of
migrant workers.
Under these circumstances, it is very important to strengthen laws relating to human trafficking and
to enforce them.
In the year 2013, the Commission reached a common consensus with civil organizations and public
institutions and took measures to protect, promote and prevent the infringement of rights of migrant
workers.
The Commission entered into an Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) in year 2012 with the
National Human Rights Institute of Qatar to safeguard the rights of migrant workers, and is
currently working, jointly with all local and international stakeholders interested in protecting rights
of migrant workers, on the possibility of signing a similar instruments with National Human Rights
Institutions of Gulf Region. As it has also been reported that detention camps and prisons of those
job offering countries are not up to the standard, the Commission initiated to hold a national
conference with the view of enhancing such conditions. The Commission decided to appoint
Director Monitoring and Review as a focal point to inquire into matters relating to migrant workers.
3.9
Detention of Illegal Migrants
A detention centre to detain foreign nationals, who violated immigration laws, is located in the
Mirihana Police Premises. This place is also subject to inspection by officers of the Human Rights
Commission of Sri Lanka.
With the intervention of the Commission, a new building has been put up by the government with
the financial assistance of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for these foreign
detainees.
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