Over 93,000 Bangladeshi expats have expired visas: foreign minister

Visas of over 93,000 Bangladeshi migrant workers in United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Egypt, South Korea and Iran have expired, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen informed the parliament today.

Apart from the 93,000, there are other Bangladeshi workers in different countries whose visas have also expired, the minister informed while replying to a query from Awami League lawmaker M Abdul Latif.

“But the government couldn’t identify the exact number instantly,” Momen said in a written reply.

Of the 93,000 Bangladeshi workers whose visas have expired, 80,000 are staying in UAE; 5,000 in Kuwait; 4,000 in Egypt; 2,500 in South Korea, and 1,500 are staying in Iran, he said.

About Malaysia, the foreign minister said a total of six lakh Bangladeshi workers got the opportunity of applying for becoming legal workers in between 2016 and 2018 following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s diplomacy and Bangladesh High Commission’s efforts in Malaysia.

The minister said of the six lakh Bangladeshi workers, around four lakh got legal validity to work in Malaysia.

The foreign minister in the scripted answer said as many as 52,000 Bangladeshis have returned from Malaysia in the last five months following the Malaysian government declaring general amnesty for the illegal migrant workers.

About Saudi Arabia, the minister said the Saudi government in December 22, last year announced “Special Exit Programme” paving the way for illegal workers to return back to their respective countries whose visas have expired.

The Bangladesh Consulate office in Jeddah has started giving service to eligible Bangladeshi migrants as per the Saudi government’s guidelines under the programme.

“The migrant workers who will return to their countries under the Special Exit Programme, will be able to go to Saudi Arabia after receiving valid visa,” Momen said.

He also added that the number of migrant workers whose visas have expired, will be known through the ongoing process.