Expatriates’ welfare ministry: Focus on skilled labour markets in Europe, Japan

Although the number of Bangladeshi workers going abroad has been declining over the past two years, remittance inflows have risen. In fact, the country received its highest-ever remittance earnings in the last fiscal year.

To sustain this growth, the interim government has shifted its focus toward sending workers to high-paying, skilled labour markets such as Japan and Europe, while training workers to meet overseas demand.

According to the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, the market for unskilled workers is shrinking, which has affected overseas employment. In response, the government is prioritising skilled migration to higher-income destinations.

Agreements have already been signed with Italy, with more expected with other European countries. A fresh agreement has also been finalised with Japan, where demand for skilled workers is rising. Bangladesh has set a target of sending 100,000 workers to Japan over the next five years, while expanding Italian and Japanese language training centres at home.

Industry insiders note that in the past, mass labour migration was often marred by irregularities. Many workers ended up unemployed or undocumented abroad, sometimes getting arrested and deported. Recruitment syndicates also exploited unskilled workers, who often lost large sums of money to fraud.

For a long time, migration of Bangladeshi workers has been heavily reliant on unskilled labour markets in the Middle East. But wages there are far lower, on average three to four times less than in Japan or European countries. Even Middle Eastern countries now demand skilled labour.

Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh’s largest labour market, has sharply reduced demand for unskilled workers. The United Arab Emirates (UAE), the second-largest market, has suspended recruitment, and Oman has also closed its doors. Malaysia’s labour market has been shut since June last year. Negotiations are ongoing with these countries to reopen opportunities.

Meanwhile, demand in Japan and South Korea far exceeds the number of workers Bangladesh is sending. Europe, too, remains underutilised due to a shortage of skilled workers. Experts believe that boosting skilled migration could inject new momentum into the sector.

According to data from the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), more than 1.1 million workers migrated in 2022, 1.3 million in 2023, and 1 million last year. In the first seven months of this year, 585,000 workers have gone abroad.

Despite the decline, remittance earnings have grown, with over USD 30 billion received in FY 2024–25, some 24 per cent higher than the previous year.

Migration through government channels has also increased. State-run Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOESL) sent 16,066 workers abroad last fiscal year, a 4 per cent rise from the year before.

Last year, many expatriates abroad staged protests in support of the mass uprising, despite the risks. In the UAE, several were arrested and sentenced. At the request of the interim government’s chief adviser, the UAE granted a general amnesty, freeing 188 Bangladeshis. Twelve more were released in Saudi Arabia. They returned home.

Those protesters have popularly been dubbed as “remittance warriors”.

On 2 August, the government organised a “Remittance Warriors’ Day” event to commemorate the July–August student–public uprising, where returning expatriates were honoured.

The ministry provided Tk 9.4 million in aid, Tk 50,000 each, to the 188 returnees from the UAE. Additionally, each received Tk 13,500 in counseling and reintegration support. Those wishing to re-migrate were offered opportunities in Brunei, while others received local rehabilitation assistance.

The Probashi Kallyan Bank has already disbursed Tk 8.6 million in loans to 14 returnees, with loan processing ongoing for another 12.

The closure of Malaysia’s labour market last year left 15,000 workers stranded despite completing all formalities. According to the ministry’s one-year performance report, an initial agreement has been signed to send 8,000 workers to Malaysia under BOESL at minimal cost. High-level talks are also underway to fully reopen the Malaysian market.

Bangladesh is set to sign a new agreement with Saudi Arabia this September to expand safe and legal migration. A joint task force has been formed to address the challenges faced by Bangladeshi workers in the Kingdom.

Apart from this, to meet Japan’s demand, a special “Japan Cell” has been created, with plans to send over 500,000 workers in the next five years. Skills testing, once limited to three sectors, has been expanded to five. Three separate MoUs have been signed with Japanese institutions for skills certification.

A seasonal labour agreement has also been signed with a South Korean province, with worker deployment already underway.

The government is also reviving other markets. An Iraqi delegation is scheduled to visit Dhaka in September to finalise a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on labour migration. Singapore has removed certain verification requirements to speed up worker deployment. Besides, agreements are in process with Guyana for sending physicians and nurses, while MoUs with Oman, Serbia, Spain, Austria, Malta, and Mauritius are at the final stage.

The ministry has also emphasised worker protection and services abroad. For the first time, Malaysia has introduced multiple-entry visas for Bangladeshi workers. Legal advisory firms have been appointed in Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Kuwait.

Regularisation programmes for irregular workers are underway, covering Bangladeshi women workers in Jordan and over 100,000 undocumented migrants in Oman.

At Dhaka airport, a “Probashi Lounge and Waiting Area” has been set up, offering hygienic meals at a 30 per cent discount.

On the training front, 44 Technical Training Centers (TTCs) now run Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean language courses. Under a new agreement with Saudi firm Takamol, 15 TTCs and BRTC training centers have been authorised to conduct skills testing. Caregiver training has also been added, given rising overseas demand.

The interim government has also dismantled the private mobile app system for worker registration, introduced by the previous government, and replaced it with a unified digital platform for foreign employment. Workers now receive exit clearance directly from the government’s system, reducing migration costs and time.

Tasneem Siddiqui, acting executive director of the private migration research group RMMRU, told Prothom Alo that despite various pressures, the interim government has successfully blocked the formation of syndicates in Malaysia and scrapped the private registration app.

“These are highly positive steps,” she said.

“But the shrinking labour market remains a concern. More emphasis is needed on expanding destinations and scaling up training for skilled workers,” Tasneem Siddiqui pointed out.