1,800 Bangladeshis want to return from Lebanon: problem is air travel

As many as 1,800 Bangladeshi expats have registered to return home as Israel wages a war on Lebanon.

According to Foreign Advisor Md Touhid Hossain, nearly 160-165 of those wanting to come back home have valid documentation, reports bdnews24.com.

In other words, almost 90 percent of Bangladeshi expats living there have become irregular immigrants. Efforts are being made to get clearance for both regular and irregular immigrants.

The advisor gave the latest update on the repatriation of Bangladeshis from Lebanon during a briefing at the foreign ministry on Thursday.

While highlighting the difficulty of flying them back to Bangladesh from war-torn Lebanon, Touhid said: “Some airlines have increased the fares due to the current situation. We have nothing to do. We are making arrangements to bring them back despite the hiked fare.”

“There is no guarantee that everyone can be brought by air. This is because we are not getting more than 50 seats per day. Middle East Air will go from Beirut,” he added.

“For now, we want 50 people to arrive daily. Generally, a lot of those who register do not come. After Oct 20, those who have documentation will come in groups of 50, 52, 54. This is what has been decided for now.”

He shared further plans of bringing them back by sea through Turkey.

“We are thinking that if needed, we will take them to Turkey’s Mersin by sea. From there, we can bring them using a Biman chartered flight or any other regular flight. That is a bit expensive. But we are still trying to make arrangements thinking of human life.”

Since Israel’s war with Gaza, Hezbollah and Israel have been carrying out counter-attacks on each other. As such, Israel has extended its attacks on Lebanon since mid-September.

According to the UN, over 1.2 million people in Lebanon have been affected due to Israel's escalated offensive in the region.

Under these circumstances, many Bangladeshi expats living in Lebanon have demanded to come to Bangladesh as the war continues.Later, Bangladesh’s government directed those wishing to be repatriated to start registering.

According to the foreign advisor, many Bangladeshis living in Lebanon want to return to their financial situation.

While stating that many do not wish to return, Touhid said: “They have spent a lot of money to go there. They don’t know what they will do here if they come back. They want to stay back despite the danger and difficulties.”

“Others work in relatively safer areas where there is no war or bombing. So, they do not want to come back from there. They want to keep earning there to support their families.”

He also remarked that those who are irregular immigrants may face difficulties getting clearance. However, they can pay penalties to get the clearance.

“We are making arrangements to waive that fine. Because the amount is quite a lot. Moreover, they don’t have money. We have taken approval to give the money from the government.”

“We are also making arrangements for those who are undocumented to get clearance. We have sought assistance from the IOM in this regard.”