Sri Lanka Announces Strict Enforcement of Child Labour Laws and New Anti-Trafficking Measures
From July 1, 2025, Sri Lanka will enforce a ban on child labor in hazardous occupations and street begging, backed by new rules to fight organized child trafficking.
🗓️ Effective: 1 July 2025Key Highlights
- Ban prohibits children under 16 from street begging or trading; forbids 16–18-year-olds from hazardous jobs, including domestic work.
- Cabinet-approved program includes a nationwide public awareness campaign on child labor risks and illegality.
- New standard monitoring procedure directs law enforcement on investigating and prosecuting child trafficking cases.
- Procedure has Attorney General clearance and will be published in the official gazette, making it legally binding.
Policy Context and Implications
These measures reflect Sri Lanka's intensified commitment to protecting minors from economic exploitation and trafficking, aligning domestic rules with its obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The explicit inclusion of domestic work as a prohibited occupation for minors addresses a common loophole often used to exploit young workers under informal arrangements.
Employers, NGOs, and local households employing domestic help should closely review these new restrictions to ensure compliance, avoiding practices that could be deemed illegal under the revised framework. Meanwhile, law enforcement agencies are now required to systematically identify, investigate, and prosecute organized child trafficking, signaling a more robust enforcement era in Sri Lanka's child protection landscape.