The Sri Lankan government announced Wednesday that it will begin strictly enforcing laws prohibiting the use of children under 16 for begging and street vending, and will also crack down on the employment of children aged 16 to 18 in hazardous jobs and as domestic workers, starting July 1, 2025.

According to a statement from the Department of Government Information, under the Children's Rights Ordinance, anyone under 18 years old is considered a child, and children make up about 30 percent of Sri Lanka's total population.

Recent statistics indicate that some children are forced into various forms of labor, becoming street children due to human trafficking, the statement said.

In response, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved measures to strictly enforce existing laws against child labor and begging. The government also plans to raise public awareness about these issues through a public education campaign, the statement said.