Another 125 return empty handed from KSA

Saudi Arabia sent back another 125 Bangladeshi workers home on Friday night as part of the country’s ongoing crackdown on undocumented migrant workers.

With them, some 2,615 Bangladeshi workers have been deported so far this month by the Gulf country, according to Brac Migration Programme.

Brac officials, in cooperation with officials at “Prabashi Kalyan Desk” set up by the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment at the airport, provided the returnees with immediate assistance.

Shariful Hasan, the programme’s head, said the Saudi government had sent at least 22,000 Bangladeshi workers back this year alone.

“Most of the workers have returned empty-handed,” he said, adding that a major portion of the deported workers were victims of illegal “free visa” trade.

“The recruiting agencies allure the workers saying they would be able to work on their own and earn more money with this so-called ‘free-visa’,” said Shariful.

He informed that this issue would be raised in a joint technical committee meeting between the two countries in Saudi capital Riyadh this week.

He urged authorities to take swift action against such illegal visa   trade.