Overcoming challenges faced by migrant workers

The relevant authorities within our government related to Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment need to try and resolve and overcome some of the continuing challenges faced abroad by our expatriate workers. This aspect is significant for us because the process not only provides employment abroad but also helps us with the remittance sent back to the country by these workers.

We have also followed with anxiety and concern how the osmotic effect of human trafficking and illegal migration equation is proving to be a menace for those trying to gain from this exercise. This has also led to thousands of illegal Bangladeshi migrants seeking asylum in Europe through dangerous sea routes which more often than not has been creating deaths and imprisonment. This dynamic has already led to hundreds having been drowned in the Mediterranean Sea. The departure points in most cases have been from the northern shores of Libya and also from Turkish shores. In the recent past there have been quite a few migrant boat accidents that have resulted in the death of more than 30 persons in the Aegean Sea off the coast of Greece.

The sorry state of affairs that currently exist is being further exacerbated through the inability of regional and international institutions -- the UNHCR (whose mandate is to protect refugees) and its sister agency the UN's International Organisation for Migration (IOM) --  to restore a degree of order within this intractable paradigm, particularly within Detention Centres.

The European Union, it may be mentioned, has tightened measures to prevent migrants crossing the Mediterranean. This has reduced the influx a bit. The EU in this regard has issued a statement, where it has reiterated that it "does not seek to stop global migration, but works with international partners to manage international migration, protect migrants' human rights, prevent perilous irregular journeys exploited by illegal human traffickers and ensure opportunities for legal and safe pathways". They have also drawn attention to the need for "Global migration to be addressed via numerous channels and in a multilateral approach.

There has also been another aspect within this unfortunate paradigm -- that of Bangladeshi women migrant workers who went abroad to work and then have returned with shattered dreams. Research on this aspect has been carried out by the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies (BILS) since 2021. It sheds light on the conditions of our female migrant returnees.

It has been revealed that return to the country by female migrant workers was either unexpected or forced, and as many as nearly 22 per cent of the female migrants have returned before even completing one year of their migration. About 17 per cent came back between one and two years, and some within two to three years. Many of these female migrant workers have also revealed sorry tales of abuse of different dimensions to the authorities upon their return. About 35 per cent of the returnees were physically abused in their destination countries, while nearly 50 per cent were victims of forced labour. Many returnees came back empty-handed, a burden of debt already hanging over their heads. The BILS has reported that about 60 per cent of the returnees had large debts which had been undertaken to ensure their migration effort.

This disconcerting scenario does not stop after their return to Bangladesh. Most unfortunately, they apparently also face new challenges of social bias and stigma along with economic hardships. About 60 per cent of the returnees also have apparently been unable to find work or employment due to this unfortunate discrimination.

It needs no emphasising that this is a serious issue that deserves to be addressed with due priority by the authorities concerned. There also needs to be greater coordination between government agencies providing services to migrant workers. We must not overlook the fact that the required humanitarian measures need to be undertaken to uphold the dignity, social protection and honour of the country's female migrant workers.

The next significant development that was ushered into this paradigm took place in December 2021, with Malaysia approving, after an interval of nearly three years the recruitment of workers from Bangladesh.

It may be recalled that labour exports from Bangladesh to Malaysia began in 1976. Until 2009 all agencies had the opportunity to export workers to Malaysia according to their qualifications without hindrance. BMET data show that Bangladesh exported a total of 1.06 million skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers to Malaysia from 1976 to 2019.

On December 10, 2021, the Malaysian Cabinet took this decision. It involved all sectors of that country-- domestic, agricultural, manufacturing, services, mining and quarrying and construction sectors. This movement forward was very correctly appreciated by then Minister for Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment who followed this up by travelling to Malaysia and signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on December 19 with their Minister for Human Resources.

Subsequently, Bangladeshis desiring to go and work in that country have been urged not to deal with or pay money in advance to any broker or any unauthorised agency. They have been asked to contact the Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry database in this regard.

This measure was undertaken consistent with the principle that instead of suffering due to uncertain conditions created by intermediaries, going through government digitised channels would ensure financial protection for intending migrant workers. It was also proposed that the government would determine the service charge which would not be more than three months' pay for the intending worker.

Consequently, the migration cost was far below Taka 160,000 that had officially been fixed earlier in the case of Malaysia. It was also revealed that Malaysia has agreed that most expenses of a migrant worker will be paid by the employer. This would include payment of their airfares to Malaysia, their accommodation while in that country, associated insurance and health service facilities while working there. Employers were also barred from keeping the Passport of their workers in their custody.

It is understood that this renewed recruitment process was initiated from January, 2022. At the same time, necessary discussion was initiated pertaining to the Bangladeshi migrant workers who were held back from any employment over there because they had entered the country without fulfilling legal requirements.

Past and present governments of Bangladesh have traditionally been very effusive in praising the hard work the migrant workers do abroad and send home their precious Dollars. However, they do not appear to be equally concerned about what these foreign-bound job-seekers go through once they are in the hands of the recruiting agents, both genuine and fake, and then what happens to them either at home or when they reach their host country. It is not that the government and the public are not aware about reports on how migrant workers are pushed around from the very beginning of the recruiting procedures till they reach their foreign destinations and meet their employer. In fact, each step of their journey is slippery and except the lucky ones, the migrant workers, in overwhelming numbers, are at best subjected to exploitation and at worst, to outright fraudulence.

 According to a recent report, two Bangladeshi migrant workers, on behalf of 93 of their compatriots, filed a case with the Malaysian police against their employer, a gloves manufacturing company named Medicerem. The allegations were about serious violation of labour laws and breach of contract. Their employer, the allegation went, illegally confiscated their passports and failed to renew work permits.  Mediceram terminated 170 workers as the latter held protest demonstrations against these instances of injustice. The employer also cancelled visas of 16 workers and influenced the Malaysian authorities to deport them to Bangladesh.

It was further reported that since the beginning of their recruitment in that factory, they were deprived of their wages month after month. Their work permits oftentimes faced inordinate delays. But each of these workers had to pay from Tk 450,000 to 600,000 to get the job.

Instances of such maltreatment of Bangladeshi migrant workers in some host countries abound. There are also cases where migrants  workers are victims of digital scams. They found job opportunities from ads on their smartphones. The job offers appeared too good to be true, but they still believed and fell for those. Seeking jobs overseas through fake online recruitment schemes, falling into betting traps, becoming victims of identity theft through mobile apps, messaging platforms, social media and so on, became widespread between 2022 and 2024. 

Many rural youths with poor level of digital literacy pertaining to mobile financial services and digital banking, fall prey to cybercriminals. 

Digital fraudulence within the recruiting system itself also at times has become veritable minefields of informal channels that include personal connections and brokers or dalals. Even jobs are sometimes offered on the basis of verbal assurances. The job-seekers consequently, desperate to get a job, agree to any conditions.  So, a lack of experience to distinguish between a fake and a genuine job source, digital or otherwise, land them in trouble. Moreover, the very eagerness to get an overseas job by hook or by crook make the youths, mostly from rural backgrounds, fall into the hands of fraudsters.

Even UN human rights experts in Geneva (according to a report published on  November 21, 2025) have expressed concern about 'fraudulent recruitment and the exploitation of migrants. Some UN human rights experts have also further noted that a small number of recruiting agencies operate as a closed syndicate sustained by lack of transparency and systemic corruption.  At the same time, the UNHCR experts have reminded the governments of Bangladesh that it had an obligation to ensure that labour migration was governed in a rights-based, transparent, and accountable manner. 

 In this connection, it is important to note that our economic diplomacy efforts pertaining to additional jobs for our workers abroad can be enhanced if we succeed in skill development. This aspect has become vital for a digitalised world which has no frontiers. One believes that if we can create greater development within this area, Bangladeshi citizens will be sought after by the developed countries in Europe, the UK and North America and many other countries in Asia.

It would be worthwhile to mention that expatriate workers have sent a record of US Dollar 3.17 billion as remittance in January, 2026. This underlines the need for our relevant authorities to be more constructive and inter-active in their approach towards economic diplomacy.

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