In a crowded shelter on the outskirts of Beirut, Isatta Bah cradles her baby, Blessing, as she waits for an exit visa to return to Sierra Leone. The 24-year-old endured what she described as exploitative work conditions, sexual violence, and the ravages of Lebanon’s recent war. “My time in Lebanon has been very hard. I just want to go home,” Bah said. Bah is one of hundreds of migrant workers stranded in Lebanon, seeking repatriation after a ceasefire ended the 14-month conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. Attracted by promises of stable jobs and decent pay, many migrants enter Lebanon under the controversial Kafala sponsorship system. However, the system, often criticized by human rights groups, leaves workers vulnerable to exploitation, including withheld wages and confiscated passports. Bah’s ordeal began in 2022 when she arrived in Lebanon, expecting to work in a supermarket for $200 per month. Instead, she was sent to care for an elderly woman. Within weeks, her 3-year-old son back in Sierra Leone passed away, and she wasn’t allowed time to grieve. Bah fled her employer’s home but left behind her passport and documents. Her situation worsened when she and five housemates were abducted and raped after being misled by a taxi driver. The trauma stayed with her, and two months later, she discovered she was pregnant. Read: 105 stranded Bangladeshis return from war-torn Lebanon The war added to her hardships. When Israeli strikes targeted Beirut’s southern suburbs in September, Bah fled on foot with her baby and friends. Since October 2023, an estimated 37 migrant workers have died and 150 have been injured, according to the U.N.’s International Organization for Migration (IOM). Displaced and vulnerable, many migrants found limited support. Most government shelters refused to house non-Lebanese, said activist Dea Hajj Shaheen. She and other volunteers transformed an abandoned car dealership into a shelter for over 200 Sierra Leonean women, including Bah. Despite its modest conditions, the shelter provided safety and community. Women cooked together, danced to music, and even fashioned a Christmas tree from sticks. However, challenges persist as many lack the necessary documents to leave Lebanon. “We had to arrange exit permits, immigration clearances, and travel documents for children,” said Shaheen, who facilitated the repatriation of 120 women and children with IOM’s help last month. IOM reports over 10,000 requests for repatriation, a fraction of the 175,000 migrant workers in Lebanon. As of late November, the organization had assisted over 400 people in returning home, including charter flights for migrants from Bangladesh and Sierra Leone. On Nov. 19, joy filled Beirut’s airport as Sierra Leonean women celebrated their long-awaited departure. “Life in Lebanon was tough, but I’m thrilled to go home,” said Amanata Thullah, who spent four years in the country. Read more: Despite ceasefire Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon continue While many left, Bah remains at the shelter, awaiting her turn. After initial delays due to missing documents for her baby, a lawyer waived the requirements, clearing her path for repatriation. “I dream of continuing my education and studying computer science,” Bah said, smiling at her baby. “Blessing gives me hope and joy. Watching her grow reminds me that there’s still something beautiful to hold on to.”  

Bangladesh has received US$ 23.915 billion in remittances for the fiscal year 2023-24, ending on June 30, marking the second highest remittance inflow in a fiscal year to date. Md Mezbaul Haque, Executive Director and Spokesperson of Bangladesh Bank, told UNB that expatriate Bangladeshis sent $2.542 billion in remittances in June 2024. This brought the total remittance amount from July 1 to June 30 of FY 2023-24 to $23.915 billion, compared to $21.610 billion in the previous fiscal year. Bangladesh Bank extends Tk 5000 crore refinance scheme to support food security Remittance inflow to Bangladesh rose 15.59 percent year-on-year to $2.542 billion in June, as migrant workers sent more money home for Eid-ul-Azha. In May 2024, expatriate workers sent $2.253 billion in remittances. Sector insiders attribute this growth to the higher exchange rate of the dollar and the festive occasion of Eid-ul-Azha, which prompted expatriates to send additional remittances to their families. Economist Dr. Ahsan H. Mansur commented that Bangladesh can increase remittances through legal channels by enhancing financial and non-financial benefits for the remitters. He noted that many remitters prefer the illegal Hundi system due to its higher exchange rate, diverting legal remittances to illegal channels. Read more: How to safely send remittance to Bangladesh?

The leaders of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA), an apex body of the country’s recruiting agents, have agreed to open Bangladesh’s all markets for migrant workers to all recruiting agencies without any syndication. After getting such assurance from all members in a views exchange meeting held at a hotel in Dhaka, BAIRA President Abul Bashar urged the government for amending the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between Bangladesh and Malaysia over hiring Bangladeshi migrants to the country under its foreign migrants hiring programme. He also sought Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s intervention so that the issue of opening the Malaysian market for Bangladeshi workers for all agencies can be discussed in the meetings with Malaysian Home Minister who will visit Bangladesh from February 4 (Saturday). Bashar said, “We were thinking that more than 500 agencies will send workers in Malaysia. Considering the matter, the Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry had sent a list on 1,520 valid agencies to the country.” “However, they have selected only 25 agencies for hiring migrant workers. It’s their consideration as per the MoU signed between the two countries,” he said. Bashar said that they protested the decision of syndication. But after the last election of BAIRA, they communicated with Malaysian authorities while they agreed to extend it to 75 and later to 100. “Now, 100 agencies are working to send migrants there. But, we want to keep the market open for all agencies. We have sent letters to the Prime Ministers and ministers concerned of the two countries requesting them to take necessary measures in this regard,” he said. “We will try to convince the Malaysian Home Minister during his visit to Dhaka by meeting him at any cost,” said the BAIRA President. He said: “If we can keep the market open for all agencies, all agencies will be able to work. It would help the agencies to send at least 1,000 migrants abroad from all districts without any charge as per the pledge of the Prime Minister.” Among others, BAIRA Secretary General Shamim Ahmed Chowdhury Noman, Senior Vice President Reaz Ul Islam, Vice President Abul Barakat Bhuiyan, former Secretary General Ali Haider Chowdhury, Joint Secretary General Fakhrul Islam and Akbor Hossain Monju, and agency owners Anwar Hossain, Majibar Rahman, Abdul Matin, Ismail Hossain, Mohammad Forkan also spoke at the programme. Read more: BAIRA won't submit passports at Saudi embassy anymore

A record number of 5,891 Bangladesh workers went to South Korea, a "popular, preferred" destination for them, in 2022. The "low and medium" skilled workers from Bangladesh were taken by the East Asian country last year through its Employment Permit System (EPS) programme, according to the Embassy of South Korea in Bangladesh. After almost one and a half years of suspension of admitting foreign EPS workers due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the South Korean government resumed taking them in December 2021. From 2008 to 2022, 28,697 Bangladesh workers were taken by South Korea through the EPS and it is expected that around 100 to 120 workers are to be taken by South Korea every week this year. REad: Bangladesh gets $10.49 billion inward remittances in July-December: Central Bank The East Asian country is a popular destination for Bangladeshi expats as they can earn a minimum of $1,420 monthly, the legally guaranteed minimum wage of South Korea, the Korean mission in Bangladesh said Monday.

The government has worked out a plan to send 8.10 lakh Bangladeshi workers abroad and provide skills development training to 5.20 lakh ones in the current fiscal year(2022-23). Besides, to train up more workers for meeting the demands overseas job market it expected to start operation of some 100 technical trainer centres in different parts of the country. According to an official document, it is necessary to provide necessary training to workers for their skills development and ensure their better jobs abroad. To this end, all the training programmes of technical training institutes and institutes of marine technology are conducted under the National, Technical and Vocational Qualification Framework (NTVQF) from the last fiscal year( 2021-22). Also read: Friendly conditions to be created for Bangladeshi immigrants in Portugal: Francisco Andre Recognition of prior learning (RPL) activities has been taken up for effective use of the learning by migrant workers abroad to increase their earnings in the overseas labour market. Apart from this, foreign language teaching courses are going on in the 43 Teachers Training Colleges (TTCs). In addition, for bringing discipline in the immigration system three new online systems titled- ‘Employee Connectivity Reporting System’, ‘Online Grievance Management System’, and ‘Recruiting Agencies Information Management system (RAIMS)’ have been introduced, said the document. The government has taken up a range of initiatives for the welfare of both expatriate workers and workers returning from abroad. The discipline in the immigration system has been ensured through monitoring the activities of the recruiting agencies on regular basis. The document mentioned that this sector has been completely digitalised through different programmes like- creating professional database for employee recruitment; scrutinizing visa forms through mobile apps; separate portal for receiving grievance petitions and automation of the activities of the ‘Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training’ (BMET). Also read: ‘Incentive still inaccessible for most migrant workers’ A number of activities are going on for the purpose of re-integration of migrant workers who have returned home and providing soft investment loans for their self- employment; providing scholarships to the meritorious children of the expatriates and providing medical assistance to the disabled expatriate workers on their return. A plan of action for establishing technical training institutes at every Upazila  in phases has been taken up for inspiring the marginalised communities across the country. The document said that in 2020-2021 FY the growth of remittance stood at 36.10 percent. However, since the very beginning of fiscal 2021-2022, the income from remittances slightly decreased. With a view to encouraging remittance through legal channel, the government has raised the rate of incentives 0.5 percentage point to 2.5 percent from January, 2022. The government has withdrawn the mandatory provisions for submission of earning documents of the remitters in the case of availing cash incentives against remittances exceeding the amount of US$ 5,000. It is expected that, a satisfactory growth of remittance will be back on track soon, said the document. In 2019, $18.32 billion was remitted to Bangladesh, the third-highest recipient of remittance in South Asia. Over 10 million Bangladeshis are living and working abroad, mainly in the Middle East. They are the second largest contributor of the country’s foreign remittances after the garment sector. Last year alone, they sent over $22 billion back home, according to Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training data. According to the BMET, in 2019 alone, over 700,000 migrant workers left the country in search of employment abroad and over 73% of remittances were sent from Gulf Cooperation Council countries. Remittance inflows to Bangladesh directly impact socio-economic development and act as a lifeline to vulnerable communities. There should be an investment in education and skills upgrade so that lower-skilled migrant workers can earn more and break the cycle of debt, International Organisation of Migration suggests.

Global remittances, the hard-earned money sent by migrant workers to their family members in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), grew by 8.6 per cent in 2021, says the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Despite predictions that the COVID-19 pandemic would reduce remittance flows, the momentum was sustained due to a 48 per cent increase in money sent through mobile channels, according to the report MobileRemit Africa launched on Thursday by IFAD. Also read: BB moves to encourage greater flow of remittance to boost forex “The digitalization of remittances, particularly through mobile channels, is a great opportunity to boost rural development as over half of these funds go to rural areas. Digitalization reduces fees and other transactions costs like travel time, making the process more convenient and safer while promoting digital and financial inclusion,” said Gilbert F. Houngbo, President of IFAD, speaking on the International Day of Family Remittances. Remittances flow (US$605 billion) more than tripled the total amount of international official development assistance (US$178.6 billion). Money sent home by over 200 million migrant workers around the world this year is expected to reach US$630 billion, providing a lifeline for more than 800 million family members. “Remittances lift people out of poverty, put food on the table, pay for education, cover health expenses, allow housing investments and many other family goals beyond consumption,” added Houngbo. The aggregated flows of family remittances to LMICs are expected to reach US$5.4 trillion by 2030, a figure equivalent to twice the GDP of Africa in 2021. The upward trend of remittances growth is likely to moderate in 2022 as inflation erodes wages while pandemic-related support programmes end in rich countries. Also read: Bangladesh receives record $2.09 billion remittance in April The war in Ukraine is expected to impact global figures, as it is triggering a sharp decline in transfers to Russia’s neighbouring countries, where remittances can account for as much as 30 per cent of their GDP. According to the analysis of seven African countries conducted by IFAD in the MobileRemit Africa report, the use of mobile channels for remittances by migrant workers and their families has brought an overall reduction in costs. However, the African remittance market remains the most expensive, with an average cost of 7.83 per cent against the global average of 6 per cent. Reducing the cost to the 3 per cent goal agreed in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) would lead to an additional US$4 billion per year being received by migrant families in Africa. Mobile transfer costs are already in line with the SDG target of 3 per cent.

A parked bus rolled into a group of migrant workers sleeping by a roadside in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh after being hit by a speeding truck from behind early on Wednesday, killing 18 people on the spot. The accident occurred in the state's Barabanki district, some 28 kms from Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow. Read: Pandemic leaves Indians mired in massive medical debts Police said that the migrant workers returning to their home state of Bihar in eastern India on the bus started sleeping in front of the vehicle after it suddenly broke down on a busy highway late on Tuesday night. The victims were coming from the neighbouring northern state of Haryana. "The truck crashed into the parked bus at a high speed after its driver lost control of the vehicle while trying to overtake a car on the highway. The impact was such that the bus rolled on and ran over the victims sleeping in front of the vehicle," Satya Narayan Sabat, a police officer, told the local media. Read:Floods & landslides in India kill over 100 "Three-four other migrant workers who sustained injuries in the accident have been admitted to a local hospital," Sabat said. Though the truck driver managed to escape soon after the accident, cops claimed to have seized the vehicle as well as the ill-fated bus. "A probe has been ordered and a manhunt launched to track the truck driver down," the police officer said. Read:India's deaths during pandemic 10X official toll Road accidents are very common in India, with one taking place every four minutes. These accidents are often blamed on poor roads, rash driving and scant regard for traffic laws. Indian government's implementation of stricter traffic laws in recent years have failed to rein in accidents, which claim over 100,000 lives every year.

Nearly 48% of the Bangladeshi migrant workers, who were forced to return home last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, are now dependent on loans and relatives' support in the absence of any regular source of income, says a Brac survey. Many of them returned due to fear of getting infected, some lost jobs as companies closed operations, some returned permanently, while others returned on leave. Also read: 70pc Bangladeshi returnee migrants struggling to find jobs: IOM Many of them could not get back to their old jobs or migrate again to find a new job because of global lockdown. This has left 98% of such returnees with severe anxiety, depression, and psychological disorders.  Read WB approves $200 million to help Dhaka support urban poor, migrants The other 52% have started small businesses or are working as day labourers to make a living, said the Brac Migration Program survey titled "Searching and Analysing the Socio-economic Status of Returnees." Brac surveyed 417 Bangladeshi returnees across seven divisions from March to April 2021 to explore and analyse their socio-economic and psycho-social situation, one year after their return to Bangladesh amid the pandemic. Also read: MoU signed for helping returnee migrants The majority of the respondents were returnees from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, and others returned from Italy, the UK, and Malaysia. Around 19% of the respondents said they had returned to Bangladesh after losing their job, whereas 16% were forced to return, 16% returned due to the fear of Covid-19, 12% returned permanently, 2% returned due to illness, and 35% returned on leave. Some 28% of the respondents claimed to be already in debt. Also read: Over half of returnee migrants in need of financial aid now: Brac Nearly 5 lakh people had to return to Bangladesh from their host countries due to the pandemic which has been raging since the end of 2019, the study says. More than 10 million Bangladeshi expatriates are working across the globe now. The country’s remittance inflow reached $22 billion last year despite the virus outbreak, the highest on record. Read Govt to expats: Don’t come during lockdown, except for emergencies

Around 200 Saudi Arabia-bound migrant workers staged a protest inside the Dhaka airport early on Saturday morning after a scheduled special flight of Biman Bangladesh to Riyadh was cancelled at the last minute. The special flight to Riyadh was scheduled to take off around 6.15 am, with some 201 passengers, said Tahera Khandaker, DGM (Public Relations)of Biman Bangladesh. "But the flight was cancelled as the Saudi authorities made a delay in giving landing permission." The aggrieved passengers of the flight soon staged a protest inside the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. Also read: Coordinated efforts made to ensure expats' comfortable return to 5 countries: FM "However, the authorities concerned have made special arrangements for all the passengers at different hotels. They will fly later," said Tahera. The government has decided to operate special flights of national carrier Biman to five countries, including four in the Middle East with high concentration of Bangladeshi expat workers, from April 17. Also read: Bangladesh to operate special flights to carry overseas workers The government has suspended operations of all domestic and international passenger flights to contain the spread of Covid-19 in the country during the 'all-out lockdown', which came into effect on April 14. However, the special air services will allow overseas workers currently stuck in Bangladesh to return to their places of work, officials have said. Also read: Biman to run special flights to 5 countries from Apr 17

Bangladesh High Commissioner to Malaysia Golam Sarwar on Thursday said the High Commission is optimistic that "Chakrir Khoj" job portal will complement the initiatives of the Malaysian government for making the ongoing recalibration programme a success. This initiative is to help the recalibration programme declared by the Malaysian government without prejudice to ongoing negotiations for the recruitment of new workers from Bangladesh, said the High Commissioner. The job portal was launched by the High Commission only to facilitate the ongoing legalisation process, as they were requested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Immigration of Malaysia, during various meetings, to help the Recalibration Programme whatever way possible, Sarwar said in Kuala Lumpur. Read Initiatives taken to help workers get jobs in Malaysia without hassle: Envoy He said the High Commission is optimistic that under the guidance of the Minister for Human Resources of Malaysia and Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister of Bangladesh, the ongoing negotiations for the recruitment of new workers from Bangladesh will be concluded at the earliest. Bangladesh High Commission launched the job portal as part of its responsibility for the greater welfare of Bangladeshi nationals in Malaysia, said the High Commissioner. Considering the importance of the initiative, he said, the Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister attended the virtual launching ceremony as the chief guest while State Minister for Foreign Affairs was the special guest.  Read Comprehensive database for migrant workers launched with IOM support Secretary of Bangladesh Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment and the Deputy Director General of Malaysian Department of Labour were also present in the virtual ceremony as special guests. Bangladesh High Commission has recently launched the online job portal "Chakrir Khoj" targeting "only the illegal Bangladeshi workers" in Malaysia to find suitable employers. Moreover, the High Commission has received requests from several Malaysian employers to help them to find suitable Bangladeshi undocumented workers for employment under the recalibration programme, as the ongoing recalibration programme do not allow any third party vendors to help the employers to search for undocumented foreign workers, said the High Commissioner. Read Biman to run special flights to 5 countries from Apr 17 Malaysia is one of the most popular destinations for Bangladeshi workers. Many enter the country legally and then stay past their visa’s expiration date. Last year, when the world was gripped by the Covid-19 pandemic, only 125 Bangladeshis were employed in Malaysia, according to the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET). A year before that only 545 Bangladeshis had gone to Malaysia with jobs. In 2018, the number was 175,927. Read Best Job Searching Websites in Bangladesh In 2019, Bangladeshis expatriates in Malaysia sent back US$1,278.57 million, which was 6.97 percent of the total remittance received that year. Last year, the figure was $1,735.34 million – 7.98 percent of the total inbound remittance, according to BMET. From 1976 to February 2021, officially 1,057,185 Bangladeshis had gone to Malaysia for work. Read Dhaka seeks KL's support to finalise protocol on manpower recruitment