The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) commissioned the Centre for Development Research and Interventions (CDRI) to conduct a study on ‘Recruitment Intermediaries in the Foreign Employment Industry- Sri Lanka’. The goal of the research was to facilitate evidence-based policy formulation on regulating recruitment intermediaries and contribute to the implementation of measures outlined in the recently submitted Cabinet Paper to regularize recruitment intermediaries in Sri Lanka. A mixed-method approach used quantitative methods such as questionnaires and qualitative techniques such as in- depth Interviews and Focus Group Discussions were used to collect information.
This study was based on a comprehensive, two pronged data collection exercise targeting Sub Agents. The first prong involved quantitative data collection by means of a sample survey. The survey included 405 Sub Agents from 12 districts representing all 9 provinces in Sri Lanka. For the Survey component of the study, the 405 recruitment intermediaries were interviewed from all 9 provinces in Sri Lanka. For each province, one district with the highest number of departures for foreign employment in 2015 was purposively selected for field work. Subsequent to such purposive selection of districts, respondents within these districts were identified by snow-ball sampling (chain sampling, chain-referral sampling, or referral sampling). Snow-balling is a nonprobability sampling technique where existing study subjects assist in recruiting prospective subjects among their acquaintances.