Bangladeshis working abroad  need greater attention

Economists in Bangladesh noted with great happiness that Bangladesh's inward remittance had crossed for the first time in its history the US Dollar 3 billion mark in March this year. Bangladesh Bank data indicated that Bangladesh citizens working abroad had sent remittances equivalent to US Dollar 3.29 billion in March-- a jump of nearly 65 per cent from US Dollar 1.99 billion that had come the same month a year earlier in 2024. The inflow of remittances during the July 2024-April 2025 period had grown to US Dollar 24.39 billion.

Such wonderful news has raised questions on various issues related to several dimensions pertaining not only to safe recruitment paradigm but also with regard to working conditions for migrant workers. Some socio-economic analysts have pointed out that it is unfortunate that we celebrate the remittance earnings of our migrant workers but our actions fall drastically short when it comes to ensuring their safety, dignity, and well-being both at home and abroad. In particular, the steady stream of coffins returning home-with migrants' lives cut short by health issues, workplace accidents, etc-is a stark reminder of our collective failure to protect them.

We are deeply concerned by the unnaturally high number of deaths of our migrant workers abroad, with the host country authorities failing to provide accurate explanations for them. According to the Wage Earners' Welfare Board (WEWB), 4813 dead bodies of Bangladeshi migrants arrived in the country from the destination countries in 2024, mostly from the Gulf region. The number of deaths has steadily increased since 2021-with 3,818 in 2021, 3,904 in 2022, and 4,552 in 2023. Reportedly, WEWB received 56,769 dead bodies of migrants from 1993 to 2024, which is shocking. The question is-- what is causing the deaths of so many of our workers? Have Bangladeshi authorities sought answers from the destination countries where these individuals met such dire fates?

Every year, workers leave for foreign lands, hoping to improve their financial conditions. Unfortunately, many face severe hardships and return home in coffins, particularly from the Gulf region, the primary destination for Bangladeshi migrant workers. Often, the exact causes of their deaths remain unexplained, with "heart attack" commonly mentioned in their death certificates. Additionally, our female migrant workers often face physical, psychological, and sexual abuse at the hands of their employers-and many have reportedly died by suicide.

Over the years, our returnee migrant workers have shared the miserable conditions they faced in the Gulf States. Long working hours, poor occupational health and safety practices, and exposure to cumulative health risks such as heat, air pollution, psychosocial stress, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease have been common. The question is-- have the Bangladeshi authorities made any effort to improve the living and working conditions of our workers? Additionally, our workers are under constant pressure to send money home to recoup the migration cost, leaving them with no opportunity for adequate rest. Have the authorities taken any steps to lower migration costs?

In this context, according to the Wage Earners' Welfare Board (WEWB), number of deaths has been rising steadily since 2020, increasing by more than 50 per cent. In total, over the past four decades, at least 57,216 migrant workers' bodies have been repatriated. Many more are buried overseas, with families sometimes choosing not to bring the bodies home.

It may be noted however that when a body is repatriated, the Welfare Board provides Taka 35,000 for burial and transport costs. Besides this, under a 2023 insurance scheme, families of insured workers who paid a one-time Tk 1,000 premium can receive up to Taka 1 million in the event of a work-related death.

The media has noted that the official causes of death in most cases are listed as strokes, brain hemorrhages, or heart attacks-categorised as "natural causes." However, experts have questioned this account, pointing out that most deceased workers were between 38 and 42 years old and reportedly had no prior health issues.

Unfortunately, bodies are not re-autopsied upon return to Bangladesh. A government official has tried to explain this, rather unconvincingly, that it is "difficult" to probe these untimely deaths further as autopsies conducted in host countries fall under their legal jurisdiction. Nevertheless, the question remains as to why, after all these years, we have failed to ensure a transparent and credible process for investigating the deaths of our migrant workers?

Government data indicated that most of these deaths occur in the Gulf region, where extreme heat and exhausting work conditions-especially at construction sites-have taken a severe toll. A 2023 study highlighted the link between excessive heat and poor health outcomes among workers in the Gulf.

Given these realities, one can only urge our government to push for safer and more humane recruitment and working conditions in host countries. Employers must be compelled to comply with international labour standards, ensuring not just better wages but also improved living conditions and healthcare access.

At the same time, migration costs need to be reduced so that workers are not forced to take up dangerous jobs just to recover their investment. The authorities must also enhance their efforts to crack down on fraudulent agents involved in fake recruitment, wage theft, and forced labour. We must remember that migrant workers deserve protection, dignity, and justice. Their lives, health, and the well-being of their families must be as high a priority as the remittances they send home. It should also be understood that preventing exploitation by traffickers will and can create economic opportunities at home.

In the recent past, towards the end of January we received disturbing reports of the tragic deaths of at least 23 Bangladeshi migrants whose bodies were washed ashore in northern Libya. Reports indicated that a boat carrying 56 migrants bound for Italy departed from Libya's coast on January 25. On January 28, local authorities recovered seven bodies, and over the next three days, the toll rose to 23. Two critically injured survivors were rescued and hospitalised. However, some victims remain unidentified, while officials fear the death toll may rise as there is no information about the remaining passengers.

According to the families of some identified victims, the boat passengers were being smuggled from Libya to Europe via the Mediterranean Sea. All came from impoverished backgrounds, each paying between Taka 14 to 16 lakhs for the perilous journey across the Central Mediterranean route, with some Bangladeshi agents allegedly organising the operation. One recent victim, 19-year-old Titu, apparently took this life-threatening risk after being defrauded by an agent when applying for a work permit. This unfortunate scenario highlights the root of the matter.

Since 2017, Bangladeshi migrants have consistently ranked among the top nationalities crossing the Mediterranean Sea to Europe-a route often taken by those fleeing conflict or war in North African countries and considered as one of the most dangerous in the world. This probably underscores the grim reality driving such migrations.

While these migrants attempt to enter Europe illegally, each has their own reasons for taking such a desperate venture. Some had borrowed large sums in search of better opportunities. Others had tried to migrate legally but were deceived by unscrupulous agents, making them even more desperate.

Unfortunately, such desperation on their part to leave Bangladesh and many other countries from different parts of Africa highlights in more ways than one the severe lack of stable jobs and economic prospects in their home country.

In the meantime, the EU has decided to tighten the asylum rule with a list of 7 nations which are considered to be "safe"-- in a bid to making it harder for citizens of those nations to claim asylum in the bloc. The European Commission has said that it was proposing to designate Kosovo, Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Morocco and Tunisia as "safe countries of origin". The move is set to allow governments to process asylum applications filed from citizens of those countries more quickly -- by introducing a presumption that such applications lack merit. Magnus Brunner, the EU's Commissioner for migration has noted that "many member States are facing a significant backlog of applications, so anything we can do now to support faster asylum decisions is essential."

One needs to refer to another view before concluding this article.

Analyst Michele LeVoy has termed Europe's approach to migrant 'smuggling' as harmful and absurd. It has been noted by the analyst that "instead of tackling the lack of regular pathways, thereby forcing people to embark in dangerous migration journeys, European countries are targeting migrants while injecting billions into the border surveillance industry".

One needs also at this point to refer to the unfortunate clamp down on migrants, refugees and asylum seekers entering the United States, long described as a country built largely by immigrants. The Trump administration has been busy with "mass deportations" of not only "illegal aliens" but also "undocumented workers". President Donald Trump has also pledged to end birthright citizenship for children born in the United States, which is guaranteed by the 14th amendment of the US Constitution.

Opposition to immigration in Western developed countries is reflected in the rise of xenophobia, racism, hostility and violence toward immigrants. Far-right political leaders also often depict migrants, refugees and asylum seekers as invaders, infiltrators, criminals, rapists and terrorists, and call for them to go home and to be deported.

One can only hope that better dimensions of human rights will slowly emerge and there will be greater understanding for the poverty-stricken hemisphere - where people wanting to emigrate are generally found in poor and violence-ridden countries.

Muhammad Zamir, a former Ambassador, is an analyst specialized in foreign affairs, right to information and good governance. muhammadzamir0@gmail.com