Manpower in an MRP mess
Hundreds of migrant workers might see their dreams of working abroad dashed because of the government's poor handling of machine readable passports (MRPs) introduced in April.
The government continues issuing emergency manual passports alongside MRPs without communicating the matter to the countries that hire workers from Bangladesh.
Jobseekers might be denied visas for not having MRPs. Besides, Bangladeshi expatriates could be refused renewal of residence permits for the same reason, said officials and recruiting agents.
The Department of Immigration and Passports (DIP) has the capacity to issue 2,000 MRPs a day while 600 applications for MRPs are submitted to the Agargaon passport office in the capital.
Some recruiting agencies alleged that DIP officials take one month and a half to issue an MRP, which is supposed to be done in a month. It forces jobseekers to opt for emergency manual passports.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been refusing to issue visas to Bangladeshi jobseekers without MRPs for over a week. Besides, a few Bangladeshis working there had been refused renewal of residence permits for the same reason.
About 70 lakh Bangladeshi migrants are working abroad, with 40 lakh in the Middle East. A major share of the $10 billion annual remittance comes from them.
Wishing anonymity, an official in Bangladesh mission in Dubai said there had been a mix-up between the mission and the UAE authorities over issuance of MRPs and emergency manual passports by Bangladesh.
The mission in a letter told the UAE immigration that Bangladeshi nationals will have MRPs from April.
The Consulate General of Bangladesh in Dubai sent the letter to the Department of Immigration in Sharjah, UAE on June 23. The Daily Star obtained a copy of it.
A good number of Bangladeshi nationals, who did not possess passports before or whose passports have already expired, are now travelling abroad on newly issued MRPs, reads the letter.
"As a result, Bangladeshis who are currently coming to the UAE for new employment may have MRPs."
Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira) Secretary General Ali Haider Chowdhury said he found two cases of refusal of visas by the UAE for not having the names of the parents or legal guardians in the MRPs of jobseekers.
"These are matters of grave concern," he said.
Ali Haider feared that the country's overseas employment sector could be in jeopardy if the problems are not addressed urgently.
It is the UAE that has been hiring Bangladeshi workers at a time when overseas jobs are on the decline. Over seven lakh Bangladeshis now live in the UAE that hired 2.5 lakh Bangladeshi workers last year.
A high-up in Dubai Consulate General's Office told The Daily Star that the UAE had earlier been irritated at the flaws in manual passports and was waiting eagerly for MRPs.
A few jobseekers applied for visas with MRPs after it was introduced in line with an agreement with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
Others however applied for visas with emergency manual passports with validity for three years.
Nazmul Quaunine, Bangladesh ambassador in Abu Dhabi, said the UAE refused to issue visas to Bangladeshi jobseekers without MRPs a week back.
The Middle Eastern country was likely annoyed by the submission of photocopies of both types of passport by employers on behalf of workers, the official said.
"In some cases, visas were issued on our requests."
Nazmul said they have been trying to explain the matter to the UAE authorities.
Abu Zafar, consul general in Dubai, said a few Bangladeshi expatriates were refused renewal of residence permits, a must for any foreigner to continue jobs.
He told The Daily Star by phone that they issued letters to the immigration authorities there, requesting them to renew residence permits of Bangladeshis.
Officials at the expatriates' welfare ministry also mentioned some "technical deficiency" in the MRPs issued by Bangladesh.
They said the names of legal guardians are not there in the MRPs. They could be read only by machines.
"But the Middle Eastern countries want the names of legal guardians in the passports," said an official at the ministry, preferring anonymity.
Jobseekers have to send photocopies of passports to their employers, who submit those to the immigration authorities for visas.
Many Gulf nations might refuse visas as the names of legal guardians are not printed in the MRPs, he said.
The home ministry had not consulted them before introducing MRPs, the official said.
Abdul Mubid, director general of Department of Immigration and Passports, said they are aware of the problems.
"I would suggest that the names of the legal guardians and their addresses should be printed on the last page of MRPs," he said.
"But we are bound to issue an emergency manual passport if someone wants it."
Foreign Minister Dipu Moni sits with the envoys of some Gulf and South East Asian countries today to discuss issues relating to MRPs, officials said.
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