Bangladesh has urged the Saudi Arabian government to allow the return of Bangladeshi migrant workers who have become undocumented for various reasons and have applied to come back home.
Bangladesh’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia Mohammad Javed Patwary said this to the Saudi deputy foreign minister Ali bin Abdur Rahman Al Yusuf during a meeting on Thursday.
The Bangladeshis who have cases filed against them for running away from their work place (Hurrob), those whose work permit (Iqama) has expired and those who have applied to return to Bangladesh, often have to wait for months to get the clearance to leave, said a press release issued by the consulate on Sunday.
Most of the migrant workers spend the waiting period without any work and hence go through a financial crunch. The Bangladesh ambassador requested the Saudi deputy minister for the swift return of those Bangladeshis.
The press release further read that many Bangladeshi workers are incarcerated in Saudi Arabia. Many of them are the sole earners for their families. The families of those migrants are facing hardships. The Bangladesh ambassador urged the Saudi deputy minister to consider royal pardon for the migrants who have been incarcerated for minor crimes.
In the meeting, the ambassador said, “Saudi Arabia has become an attractive destination for migrant workers after it adopted a generous and worker friendly labour policy. We thank the Saudi leadership for this. There is a tendency among the Bangladeshi people to work in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia needs skilled workers to implement its Vision-2030. That’s why we have arranged training to develop skilled workers.”
Saudi deputy minister Ali bin Abdur Rahman Al Yusuf said that the Bangladeshi workers are diligent. He also added that the Bangladeshi workers have played a role in the economic development of Saudi Arabia. He intently heard the problems Bangladeshi workers face and said he will take steps to solve the issues.