Photo courtesy of SCMP Sri Lanka has long depended on the remittances of its citizens abroad. These flows sustain households, stabilise the balance of payments and provide resilience in times of crisis. Yet while economic remittances are celebrated, their democratic equivalent remains untapped. Just as money sent home strengthens livelihoods “democratic remittances”, meaning the participation of migrants in elections, could substantially strengthen Sri Lanka’s democratic institutions, reinforce their legitimacy and foster greater political accountability. Across South Asia, the disenfranchisement of vast numbers of absent citizens is being challenged more assertively than ever. In Bangladesh, the upheaval of 2024 placed diaspora…
Why Migrants’ Voting Rights Should No Longer Be Left at the Airport Gate
Published in News
More from NewsMore posts in News »
- Restoration of Northern, Talaimannar railway lines begins
- Education reforms should suit the country, not the JVP: Namal
- Bride and groom among 8 killed in gas cylinder blast at Pakistan wedding
- Four arrested over alleged Grand Pass shooting plot
- Sri Lanka’s China-backed Hambantota Port eyes 2mn box capacity after 700-pct growth