The hard-earned money sent by 12 million expatriate workers has been prospering the economy of the country. Our expatriate workers meet a significant portion of the deficit in export-import trade. An increasing number of Bangladeshi workers are going abroad every year overcoming many barriers. But remittance flows are not rising in proportion to that. A total of 1.21 million Bangladeshis workers went aboard in the first 11 months of 2023, and the figure was 1.18 million in 2022.
Bangladesh is the sixth largest source of migrant workers and the seventh largest recipient of remittance. Expatriate workers remitted USD 22 billion in 2022. Amid this good news, what makes us worried is the insecurity of migrants. The number of migrant workers, who have lost everything abroad, are detained on foreign lands and deported, and return home empty-handed, is not less.
Migrant workers are paying manpower agents more, and that is not the only case. Rather migrant workers face many forms of harassment and torture in the destination country as they go there with fake documents. They are not offered the job that they were promised.
According to the data from the Wage Earners' Welfare Board, 80,811 migrants – 78,079 male and 2,732 female – returned home empty-handed between 1 January and 8 December this year. The government agency, however, has no data as to how many migrants come back home with passports. People concerned from the migration sector said the scenario of failed migration is much worse. The United Nations has laid emphasis on respecting the role and rights of the migrants. The theme of the International Migration Day in Bangladesh was, “Migrant workers are partners of development, we will uphold their rights.”
There is no doubt migrants are the partner of development, but there are questions on the role of the government to uphold their rights. Firstly, most of the migrant workers go abroad through middlemen, and they have to spend additional money. Migrant workers are paying manpower agents more, and that is not the only case. Rather migrant workers face many forms of harassment and torture in the destination country as they go there with fake documents. They are not offered the job that they were promised.
Expatriate welfare and overseas employment ministry senior secretary Ahmed Munirus Saleheen told Prothom Alo that they were trying to ensure that not a single worker needs to return home after being deceived. But the effort of the government does not seem to be effective, and that is why most of the migrant workers return home before their contract ends or they are forced to return. Lack of skill is another reason for migrant workers to return home, he added.
All recruitment must be scrutinised to protect migrant workers from being deceived. Destination country must ensure no migrant workers are harassed at foreign lands after possessing all proper documents. Expatriate welfare and overseas employment ministry, as well as Bangladesh missions aboard must monitor the matter closely.
If any migrant worker is forced to return home empty-handed despite multifarious measures, then it is the demand of the time to generate alternative employment opportunities for them in the country. If this is not possible, then returnees must be provided with necessary assistance so that they can become self-employed. However, above all, there is no alternative to providing proper training to increase the skills of migrant workers.