Saudi Arabia deports 96 more Bangladeshis

A total of 96 more Bangladeshi workers were deported from Saudi Arabia on Wednesday night, reports UNB. 

A Saudi Arabian Airlines flight SV804 carrying the deportees landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 11:20pm.

According to the expatriate welfare desk at the airport, a total of 421 workers have so far been deported from the country in the running month while the number of deportees rose to 20,692 in 10 months.

Tofajjal Hossain, one of the deportees, said he had to return though he went to the country just two and a half months ago.

Another deportee Mohuddin said he had been in Saudi Arabia for three years. But he had to return with empty hand in spite of having valid documents, he alleged.

Md Hannan Mia of Gazipur also raised same allegation as Mohiddin. He said although he has all valid documents, police picked him up from a road of the country and sent him back.

Brac's migration head Shariful Hasan said a total of 21000 Bangladeshi workers have been deported this year.

Workers think that their stay in Saudi Arabia is legal if they have Iqama (work permit). But according to Saudi law, it is illegal to serve a company where they were not supposed to do, he said.

These things should be explained to the workers. Besides, the recruiting agencies should make sure that a worker will get job after reaching the country, he added.