Bangladesh and the United Kingdom have stressed the need for joint efforts to prevent exploitation, irregular migration and human trafficking.
Both the countries also laid emphasis on developing skilled workers for the international labour market, says a press release.
The issue was discussed during a meeting between Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury and British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cook at the minister’s office in Dhaka today, Sunday.
The minister reiterated the government’s commitment to creating skilled and quality human resources, ensuring safe and decent employment and protecting the rights, dignity and overall welfare of migrant workers.
He sought UK support for English-language, technical and vocational training to develop workers according to the demands of the British labour market.
The minister also stressed cooperation in strengthening the capacity of technical training centres and Institutes of Marine Technology, as well as developing green and digital skills.
Ariful also stressed maintaining the continuity of the RAISE project, implemented in partnership with the FCDO, ILO and World Bank for the sustainable rehabilitation and social reintegration of returnee migrants.
Ariful Haque Choudhury also proposed forming a joint working group to implement decisions from bilateral discussions and monitor migration and skills-development activities.
State Minister Md Nurul Haque said training centres in Bangladesh could be linked with UK institutions to develop internationally certified workers in line with European labour-market demands.
British High Commissioner Sarah Cook said the UK was interested in working with Bangladesh to develop skilled workers in line with international labour-market demands.
She also raised the UK’s concerns over safe, regular and affordable labour migration from Bangladesh and said cooperation would be strengthened to improve the migration system.
On irregular migration to the UK, Cook said the British government and people had adopted a strict position on asylum seekers.
She said Bangladesh was currently among the top five countries of origin of asylum seekers in the UK.
According to the high commissioner, only a small number of recent asylum applications from Bangladesh have been approved, while the rest are being deported to their respective countries.
She added that people whose asylum applications are rejected and who voluntarily return to their home countries are offered £3,000 in financial assistance for rehabilitation. However, the assistance is not available to those who are deported through legal procedures.
Officials from the British High Commission and the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment were also present at the meeting.