All bodies must work together

Illegal migration and human trafficking cannot be checked until the government, private sector and stakeholders work together, observed discussants at a consultation in the capital yesterday.

The bodies concerned must avoid blaming each other for unsafe migration and be sincere in protecting migrants' rights at home and abroad, they said, emphasising cooperation to raise skills to ensure better work environments and wages.

The government and private sector must look after migrants' benefits and solve their problems since both benefit from migration, they said.

The “Consultation on Safe Migration with Private Sector and Stakeholders” was jointly organised by WARBE Development Foundation and the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira) at the latter's office. 

“For finding jobs abroad, the workers have to spend a huge amount of money. Again, they spend a huge amount to send their remittance home. But neither the government nor the private sector takes any initiative to reduce the costs,” said WARBE Chairman Syed Saiful Haque.

The government decision to send female migrants to Saudi Arabia without first ensuring necessary protection measures is nothing but Bangladesh's “helplessness”, he remarked.

He also questioned signing of a recruitment agreement with Malaysia while no move was made to legalise around four lakh migrants there.

Baira Executive Committee Member Nurul Amin alleged that the government's flawed policies and the Malaysian authorities' silent patronisation were responsible for illegal migration and human trafficking.

Wajed-ul Islam Khan, general secretary of Bangladesh Trade Union Kendra, said migrants were not only exploited at workplaces but also harassed at airports.

“There is no plan for re-employing returnee migrants although they have immense experience and can contribute to the country's economic development,” he observed.

Expatriates' Welfare & Overseas Employment Ministry Additional Secretary Jabed Ahmed said brokers could be allowed to get involved in the recruitment process but must be kept under strict control.

The government's technical training centres are not well equipped to help build required skills for which Indians, Nepalese and Sri Lankans were taking over the labour markets, he said, adding that the government was giving serious thought into the issue.