Migrant workers caught up in Lebanon’s economic crisis

We are disheartened to learn of the plight of Bangladeshi migrant workers in Lebanon, as they struggle to survive amidst the Middle Eastern country's own financial (liquidity) crisis. The Lebanese currency (lira) has been depreciating rapidly in recent times, reaching a point where its value was nearly 10,000 to one US dollar on the black market on March 2 (according to the AFP news agency), while the official fixed rate recently shifted from being 1,507 lira per US dollar to 3,900 lira per US dollar. The restrictions imposed by banks on withdrawals of money and on transfers of Lebanese pounds to US dollars have only worsened the situation for the Bangladeshi migrant workers.

Given that their earnings do not amount to nearly as much as they used to earn even two years ago, the workers are not only unable to send remittances home and help support their families, but also it has become hard for them to even survive in that country—let alone save anything for the future. So far, 5,990 of the roughly 1.30 lakh Bangladeshi migrant workers in Lebanon have applied to be repatriated via the Bangladesh mission there. Since February 15, more than 4,000 workers have successfully returned home on special flights. The situation is worse for the undocumented workers (of whom there are about 30,000), who have to pay a hefty USD 400 as airfare and a fine of 1.4 lakh Lebanese pounds. Repatriating to Bangladesh for these migrant workers, it transpires, is almost as difficult as staying in Lebanon amid the dire financial situation there.

The migrant workers' financial hardship is also evident in the USD 39.86 million drop in remittances received from Lebanon from fiscal years 2018-2019 to 2019-2020. Not only are Bangladeshi citizens struggling to survive there, but their families back home are also bearing the brunt of the crunch as they are receiving much less than the amount of money they used to. In such a situation, we believe it is the duty of the Bangladeshi government (and its embassy in Lebanon) to ensure that not only are no new workers sent to the country, but that those who are there receive their dues from their respective employers. We would also urge the authorities to ensure that all migrant workers, documented or not, who wish to repatriate to Bangladesh, are helped in doing so safely.

It is a matter of moral responsibility for the government to help our financially struggling and stranded citizens in Lebanon and other countries recover as much as possible, after they have helped the economy flourish for years with their hard work and sacrifice.