Although attempts have been made to look into the costs that are borne by the migrant workers no comprehensive research has been carried out on the recruitment and related operational costs that are incurred by the recruitment agents in Sri Lanka. In this context, this study looks at recruitment business processes including recruitment costs that are borne by the recruitment agents. The study will focus on two main aspects: a) An analysis of the existing recruitment modalities for Sri Lankan workers into foreign labour markets and; b) The costs incurred by the recruitment agencies under different recruitment modalities. 72 Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) of recruitment agents are carried out in five districts. In addition to recruitment agents, KIIs are performed with migrants/family members, officials from the SLBFE, Ministry of Telecommunication, Sports and Foreign Employment (the relevant Ministry at the time of field work), Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Agency (SLFEA), NGO/grassroot organisations, and training/testing centres for migrant worker skills.
