Team up to stop forced deportation

Migrant labour sending countries should strongly oppose forced deportation of workers during the pandemic and there should be a transitional justice mechanism for those facing job loss and wage theft, experts said.

There should be a comprehensive plan for socio-economic reintegration of those returning from abroad, they added.

"Migrant destination countries are not paying heed to the calls of the UN Migration Network and rights bodies against deportation of migrants. We need to raise our voice, join other countries and regional bodies against this," Prof CR Abrar told a webinar organised by The Daily Star on Saturday.

Many of the migrants returning home have not been paid their wages and end service benefits, which means billions of dollars have been lost, the Dhaka University professor of international relations told the event titled Migrants Returning Home: to What?

Bangladeshi migrant Emdad Haque Sohel had to return home from Kuwait because his employer did not renew his work visa that expired in March. He had to face detention and non-payment as well. Referring to his case, CR Abrar said, "We cannot allow this. Today, the governments and civil societies should work together."

Starting from April to mid-June, some 30,000 Bangladeshi migrants returned home. Experts estimate several lakhs of them may return over the next few months. On the other hand, new overseas jobs could drastically decline.

Prof Tasneem Siddiqui, chair of Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU), said a survey by them on 50 returnee migrants found they suffered quite a lot over the last few months due to job loss, shortage of food, and abuse in the jails overseas.

Also, 74 percent of the returnees claimed they had dues in salaries and benefits and the amounts ranged from Tk 5 lakh to Tk 7.5 lakh, she said.

Prof Tasneem suggested the government keep an account of the migrants returning so that they can back up their claims when a mechanism for justice is created.

Expatriates' Welfare Ministry Joint Secretary Nasreen Jahan said that the government has allocated Tk 700 crore for reintegration of the returnee migrants. The Expatriates Welfare Bank will provide between Tk 1 lakh and Tk 5 lakh in soft loans to the returnees. Besides, Tk 11 crore has been used for cash and food assistance for those in need in the destination countries.

The government is also working with development partners including Swiss Development Cooperation, Asian Development Bank, World Bank, ILO and IOM for repatriation and reintegration.

"Each of the families of the migrants who died due to Covid-19 will get Tk 3 lakh," she said.

Nasreen Jahan also said the migrants and their families will come under the social safety net programme run by the relief ministry.

"We are also planning on how to create new overseas job opportunities."

Syed Saiful Haque, chairman of WARBE Development Foundation, said migrants, especially the undocumented ones, are vulnerable during this pandemic. Primarily, it is the host government's responsibility to protect migrants during a crisis, but not all of them are doing it.

Therefore, Bangladesh embassies abroad need to reach out to them. He said the Tk 11 crore spent on cash and food support to migrants was not enough.

A global fund should be created for compensating the migrants who became unemployed. For those returning, Saiful suggested creating a returning center which will assist the migrants in becoming entrepreneurs.

IOM Head in Bangladesh, Gorge Gigauri, said return and reintegration of migrants is a complicated issue that's taking over health challenges. IOM is working with the government in tackling the crisis.

The discussion was moderated by Sushmita Preetha, deputy editor at editorial and op-ed of The Daily Star.