51 per cent migrants face fraudulence: Study
Around 51 per cent migrants experienced fraudulence and humiliation during the process of migration and at the destination countries, according to a latest study.
The Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU), an affiliated organisation of Dhaka University, on Wednesday revealed its primary findings at a consultation on fraudulence in processing migration. The programme was held at Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban of Dhaka University in the capital.
RMMRU under the Prokas project of British Council is conducting research on the role of middlemen (locally called dalals) in the migration process.
Founding chair of RMMRU Tasneem Siddiqui said the study was conducted in nine villages of Paikora union and 11 words of Elenga municipality of Tangail, one of the migrant-prone districts in the country that receives about $14 billion as remittance annually by sending 500,000 migrants on an average every year.
By interviewing 5331 migrants, it was found that around 19 per cent of the migrants failed to go abroad after paying a portion or full cost for migration.
Around 32 per cent migrants had to face different types of sufferings in the destination countries. Out of 32 per cent, 7 per cent experienced jail or detention, 10 per cent experienced police harassment, 14 per faced physical and mental torture, 12 per cent lived in inhuman conditions in deserts and jungles or remote islands and 10 experienced non-payment or irregular payment of salary.
The findings also reveal that only 3 per cent of the migrants have gone abroad through formal recruiting agencies. And 97 per cent migrants go abroad through family members, friends and middlemen.
Tasneem Siddiqui said the migrants are being cheated by the middlemen.
In the Overseas Employment & Migrants Act 2013, the middlemen have to be held responsible and brought to the book, she said.
Sanwar Hossain, who is working as a middleman for 25 years in Tangail, said he sent a good number of migrants, many of them have become self reliant while some have fallen into trouble.
Although the recruiting agencies know that the migrants will fall into trouble at the destination countries, they still arrange such visas and sent the migrants, Sanwar pointed out.
Lal Khan, a resident of Kalihati of Tangail, said, "I went to Cyprus through a middleman, spending Tk 850,000. I did not get any work there. I had to face food crisis. I was deported along with 17 Bangladeshis."
"After returning home, I contacted with the middleman and he assured me that he would send me abroad again. He has neither sent me abroad nor returned my money," Lal Khan said.
Speaking as special guest, Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) president and also former member of parliament Benjir Ahmed said about 11 million Bangladeshis have been staying abroad.
"We have to create public awareness so that migrants are not cheated," the BAIRA president said adding “if we are at fault in any way, we will make amends.”
On allegations that the recruiters do not give money receipts to migrants, Benjir said it is the responsibility of the migrants to collect receipt.
Member of Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) Nur Khan said many problems of labour migration would be solved if the middlemen were brought under a legal framework.
Speaking as special guest, retired judge Nizamul Huq Nassim said it is clear there are certain problems.
"We have to identify the problems and solve them."
Nassim said those who are responsible have to be brought to the book.
Among others, joint secretary of BAIRA Shameem Ahmed Chowdhury Noman and RMRRU coordinator CR Abrar also spoke at the consultation.