Partnership among stakeholders to protect migrants in COVID-19 crisis

The International Migrants Day 2020 during this COVID-19 pandemic appears depressing for millions of the global migrant workers, including Bangladeshis, as they are facing crisis at different stages of migration.

Many of the hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshi migrant workers have experienced joblessness, food scarcity, an undocumented situation, detention and deportation at destinations while many others faced xenophobic backlash on return home amid COVID-19 pandemic.

With no earnings, many Bangladeshi migrants fell into debt bondage and a bleak situation on return home from abroad, according to migrant rights activists.

Over 13 million of migrant workers of Bangladesh scattered across the world, were mostly employed in the Middle East countries hit hard by the pandemic forcing many of them to return home penniless, they said.

The ongoing pandemic of coronavirus was first identified in December last year in Wuhan, China. More than 74 million cases have been confirmed, with more than 1.64 million deaths attributed to COVID-19 globally.

This year International Migrants Day on 18 December marks the two-year anniversary of the adoption of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration (GCM). This has been an important international effort to foster justice for the migrants in crisis.

Migration experts said that Bangladeshi migrant workers are at risk all over the world. Even though remittances are the largest driver of the domestic economy, the plight of migrant workers in many countries remains dire, where women migrants furthermore face various forms of discrimination including wage deprivation, gender-based violence, sexual harassment and physical abuse, and there are limited government resources available for assistance.

Bangladesh government officials said that the pandemic affected the mobility of migrant workers due to restrictions on international travel. They, however, expressed satisfaction over rising flow of remittance sent by the Bangladeshi migrants during this pandemic.

On occasion of the International Migrants Day 2020, labour rights leaders and concerned officials of international organisations based in Bangladesh have stressed the need for forging strong partnership among all stakeholders, including trade unions and civil society organisations to address the current challenges of migration sector caused by the COVID-19 crisis.

When approached for official comment, Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment ministry’s secretary Dr Ahmed Munirus Saleheen said that the neo-normal ensuing from the global pandemic Covid-19 has very adversely affected human mobility across the globe.

In its efforts to reimagine human mobility in the changed circumstances, the government of Bangladesh is more committed to quality migration with special focus on skills development, he said.

“We have chosen skill development not only as our theme for the Mujib Year, but also for this year's celebration of International Migrants Day,” he said.

Replying to a question Munirus Saleheen said “Given that ensuring safe and ethical migration is a shared responsibility, all actors including government departments and CSOs must work in partnership. The CSOs need to be more result oriented at the grassroots level.”

Bangladeshi migrants have been working in 170 countries as they have been being given manpower clearance to cross border with overseas jobs since 1976, according to the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET).

Bangladesh sends, on an average, 600,000 workers abroad each year and it receives annual remittance of US$ 16 billion, according to officials.

As coronavirus started spreading in Bangladesh from last March-April this year, the BMET stopped regularly updating manpower clearance data over last eight months due to drastic fall of overseas employment, said its officials.

Wage Earners Welfare Board’s officials at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport recorded that over 327,000 Bangladeshi migrant workers, mostly from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have returned home from April to November.

Of them, 287,000 were male and 40,000 were female migrants, the data show.

Apart from KSA and UAE, Bangladeshi migrants have largely come back home from Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Iraq, Maldives, Malaysia, Jordan and Lebanon.

Migrant worker Farhad Sardar, 54, of Kalikapur in Madaripur returned home empty-handed from Saudi Arabia on December 3, 2020.

On his arrival at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport without COVID-19 test certificate, he was put in Diyabari Quarantine Camp in Uttara.

He was released on December 10 after being tested negative COVID-19. In an interview with this correspondent in front of the quarantine camp, the returned migrant narrated his story of failed migration.

Farhad said that he had gone to the KSA three years ago paying Tk 800,000 (USD 9,429) to a local broker who promised him a better job in construction sector and monthly wage of Tk 100,000 (USD 1,178).

Professionally a carpenter, Farhad who used to earn Tk 30,000 (USD 350) in Bangladesh was sent to the KSA on so-called free visa. After landing in Saudi Arabia he found a cleaner’s job instead of construction work.

“There was no work in Saudi Arabia on free-visa. My monthly income was barely ranging from Tk 15,000 (USD 176) to Tk 20,000 (USD 235). As coronavirus emerged in March-April my income turned zero,” he said.

He had borrowed Tk 400,000 (USD 4,714) - Tk 200,000 from Probashi Kalyan Bank in Madaripur branch and another Tk 200,000 (USD 2357) from a moneylender - to meet the migration costs.

During his three year migration, Farhad, the father of four children, could not earn enough money to pay the migration costs spent in Bangladesh.

Another migrant Shanu Miah 38 who returned home from the KSA empty handed said that in January this he had left for the Arab country with a dream to earn better but he did not find job there.

“I provided Tk 400,000 (USD 4,714 ) to a broker who promised a job in madrasah in Riyadh. But I did not get any job there,” he said.

Shanu Miah of Brahmanpara in Cumilla who was looking weak was explaining his story in front of Diyabari quarantine camp on December 10.

“During the corona time I was totally stranded in a room without job,” he said, adding that he had to borrow Tk 35,000 (USD 412) from Bangladesh to survive in Saudi Arabia.

Though Farhan and Shanu returned empty-handed but they were forced to pay Tk 300 each as COVID-19 test fee at the government quarantine camp.

About 97,000 Bangladeshi migrant workers returned home from Saudi Arabia after amid COVID-19 during last eight months, said officials in Dhaka. Many of the returnees were detained and deported by Saudi police, they said.

At least 17,300 women migrants returned from Saudi Arabia alone and many of them complained that they were either underpaid or denied wages.

On return, many women workers also complained that they were victims of abuse and torture in the house of employers in the Arab country.

When asked for comment, WARBE Development Foundation chairman Syed Saiful Haque said that during this COVID-19 pandemic crisis time, migrants’ sufferings became manifold at the countries of destination. He called upon the states to create an environment that would be inclusive of migrant workers by adhering to international labour and human rights standards.

Despite a year of serious challenges due to pandemic, Saiful found a way forward in the protection and promotion of migrant workers’ rights through the collaboration of the multiple stakeholders.

“Human mobilisation is an expression of freedom and the right to live decent lives with dignity. It is on this day, International Migrants Day, that we rejoice the will of migrant workers to seek opportunities beyond the borders of their home,” he said.

A group of Trade Unions and CSOs developed a Common Platform on Migration for National Advocacy Efforts in Bangladesh called to ensure decent work across all sectors for migrant workers.

Emphasizing collective moves to implement the GCM, they said that effective implementation, enforcement, and monitoring were essential for protecting migrant worker rights in an equal and consistent manner in Bangladesh and across the region.

When asked for comments through email, Bangladesh Country Program Director of Solidarity Center Jon Hartough said that the Bangladesh government should involve trade unions and civil society organisations in formulating the National Action Plan (NAP) on GCM implementation, and there must be transparent public access to the plan.

“Trade unions and civil society organisations should have unrestricted access to existing Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs), Memorandum of Agreements (MOAs), Bilateral Agreements (BAs), and other pertinent agreements regarding migrant workers—and should be involved in the development and negotiation of these agreements. “

He said that all dalals should be registered, Bangladesh should ratify ILO Convention 189, and pre-departure training should be provided for all migrants going abroad that includes specific labor rights information for the destination country.

Jon Hartough said that the government of Bangladesh has a vested interest in keeping its citizens safe, both here and abroad, given that remittances are such a strong contribution to the overall economy. “International Migrant Worker’s Day is a day for all of us to find proactive ways to work together to solve these complex and multifaceted migration challenges.”

He said that workers’ basic human rights should be supported and equally protected both here and abroad. Those rights include freedom of association, the right to organise and/or join a trade union, and the right to fair wages and a safe and healthy work environment.

“On this important International Migrants Day and in the middle of this global pandemic, we should reflect on the perilous situations many migrants face when trying to provide for themselves and their families, and take action to ensure that we fix the system that too often allows trafficking and severe exploitation to continue.”

Recently, there were some developments reported in the State of Qatar and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that those Gulf countries have taken moves to reform labour laws for protections of migrants.

The Saudi authorities are seeking to abolish the notorious kafala (sponsorship) system in 2021.

Qatar, home to about 2 million migrants, has been the first country in the Arab Gulf region to allow the International Labor Organization to set up office.

In cooperation with ILO, Qatar has set milestones in reforming its labor sector in order to ensure decent living standards for migrant workers, protect the rights and privileges of workers, and uphold social justice in line with the objectives of Qatar National Vision and Sustainable Development Goals.

Responding to email questions, ILO Country Director in Bangladesh Tuomo Poutiainen said that migrant workers are critically vulnerable and suffering disproportionally due to COVID-19. Many workers out there are uncertain about their jobs, fear for their health and many have by the current circumstances returned to Bangladesh. Helping them rebuilding their lives and supporting their families livelihoods is needed.

“We also need to remember that upon returning home, their skill and experience also returns home. Those skills need to be recognised, nurtured, promoted and put to good use locally. Return migrant workers should be supported in economic and social -integration, as they have lot to give to the economy and the society as a whole.”

Tuomo Poutiainen said that the nature of migration and labour markets in destination countries will drastically evolve in the coming years and going forwards. Migrant workers from Bangladesh will need to be provided with higher skills and competencies.

“ILO with its labour standards experience together with the UN Network on Migration supports investing in safe and regular labour migration policies, standards and practices- this will help support positive labour migration outcomes for migrant workers, their families and communities who depend on them.”

Replying to another question, Tuomo Poutiainen said that the Trade Unions and CSOs bring their experience of working on protection of workers and supporting decent work principles to drive safe and regular migration.

“The Trade Unions as representative organizations in Bangladesh and at the destination countries have a common goal to support equal playing field in terms of wages, working conditions and contracting practices.”

He said that the Trade Unions participate also in policy and law making bringing important challenges and issues concerning labour migration forwards.

“All actors need to work together when it comes to addressing challenges related to current return migration. Special attention is needed in addressing issues related to women return migrant; and on psychosocial counselling and safety nets in relation to health care and livelihoods.”

Tuomo Poutiainen said that ILO works closely with the government, other UN Agencies and development partners, Civil Society, Trade Unions and Migrant Associations to support actions and responses that will ensure gender responsive, fair recruitment processes for out- migration and decent employment for migrant workers in destination countries and upon return.

“We are committed to assist the Government of Bangladesh and MoEWOE to improve the skills of migrant workers and advocate for the recognition of acquired skills both locally, as well as abroad. We also see positive initiatives been taken by government through MOFA in developing consulate services for migrant workers in destination countries,” said the ILO director in Bangladesh.

Netherlands-based Bangladeshi diaspora organisation ‘BASUG - Diaspora and Development’ called for engaging all stakeholders including the governments at both ends, civil society organisations to find out ways so that migration can benefit all, to stop all negative narratives about migration, stop the rise of xenophobia, discrimination, exclusion and violation of human rights in the destination countries.

BASUG chairman Bikash Chowdhury Barua said that migration as a global phenomenon has been affecting nearly all countries of the world and no one can avoid it. “We have to promote and ensure safe, orderly, regular and dignified migration. To maximise the benefit of migration, we first need to dispel all the misconceptions about migration. The ‘Migrants Contribute Campaign’ which was launched by IOM needs to be extended to counter the misconceptions and showcase the best practices by the migrants.”

He said that migrant workers across the globe were facing a lot of challenges such as lack of decent work, job security, safety at workplace, right to labour union etc. Labourers were being treated as inanimate objects like apples or mobile phones to be negotiated for the maximum profit or lowest price and they don’t have the rights to join the trade union, if they speak out about their rights, they face the threats of losing jobs or deportation.

Responding to a question, Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Program (OKUP) chairman Shakirul Islam called for ensuring protection of all migrant workers irrespective of their migration status. “The ministry should ensure migrant friendly supports and services by improving institutions. The ministry of expatriates’ welfare must ensure fair and ethical recruitment by holding recruiting agents accountable for.”

He also said that Trade Union and CSOs need to build and undertake joint advocacy to hold the government accountable to implement the Expatriate Welfare Policy 2016 and the Migrants Act 2013.

When asked, Bangladeshi Ovibashi Mohila Sramik Association (BOMSA) director Advocate Farida Yeasmin said that the government needs to ensure safety and security of women migrant workers

She called to strengthen partnership with GO, NGO and trade-union for ensuring safe migration and social protection

She demanded ensuring easy access of migrants worker at all kind of services specially the loan system and provide comprehensive reintegration package for vulnerable women migrant workers.

Trade union leader and Vice President of Bangladesh Independent Garment Workers Union Federation Rashadul Alam Raju said that Bangladesh government through its embassies and High Commissions should take effective steps to solve migrants’ problems in destinations.

Both domestic workers and garment workers of Bangladesh abroad were facing abuse, violence and joblessness and they should be protected with partnership and cooperation with same minded organizations based in host countries.

International Domestic Workers Federation (IDWF) regional coordinator for Asia Fish Ip said that Migrant Domestic Workers faced too many difficulties this year with the lockdowns and increased xenophobia - the workers were left with total shut down behind closed doors facing more abuses, no day-offs, sexual abuses, and even no food and no/underpaid.

She said that the freedom of association of migrant domestic workers in destination countries was very import as without that, migrant domestic workers would be left voiceless and abuses would be more serious. “The government must recognise domestic workers and migrants and ensure their rights are protected through working with the domestic workers organizations.”

Replying to a question, she said that the trade unions and CSOs have offered a lot of help for migrant domestic workers and closely working with the migrant domestic workers organizations and leaders.

“We need their help in monitoring the situation of migrant domestic workers, offer shelter and legal assistance in abuse cases and support the domestic workers organisations to access the policy makers on issues faced by migrant domestic workers in COVID19. And in the long run, we need to have national policies and laws to ensure the freedom of association of migrant domestic workers, and to protect their rights,” said Fish Ip in her email.

ILO estimates 164 million migrant workers worldwide, approximately 111.2 million (67.9 per cent) live in high-income countries, 30.5 million (18.6 per cent) in upper middle-income countries, 16.6 million (10.1 per cent) in lower middle-income countries and 5.6 million (3.4 per cent) in low-income countries.

Md Owasim Uddin Bhuyan is a freelance journalist