Migration for Prosperity: Ensure Migrants’ Dignity, Security, Welfare, and Reintegration

Z. A. M. Khairuzzaman:

Immigration is a much-discussed and important issue throughout the world. In a populated country like Bangladesh, labour migration gets due importance for the country’s socio-economic development. The reason is that a tendency of migration for employment has been observed among the male and female citizens of the country for the past few years. In recent times, the issue of migration is getting importance at national level as well as among the conscious quarters.
Bangladesh is one of the south Asian countries that sends workers abroad. Since 2004, over 13 million workers have migrated abroad, averaging 6.4 lakh workers annually, according to data from the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET). In 2024 only, around 10, 09,146 migrant workers have gone abroad.

Most of these migrant workers are lower to semi-skilled workers seeking better opportunities. Although remittances sent by the migrants contribute around 6.96% to the total GDP, the overall situation is not yet in favour of the workers. Migrant workers frequently experience exploitative work condition, unsafe and irregular recruitment, wage theft, debt problems, expiring contracts, and inadequate access to social and civil justice. Women migrants, especially the domestic workers are exposed to greater risks of violence, exploitation and social stigma. Moreover, dishonest syndicates force them to pay high migration costs.

Migration and development are inseparable with each other. Foreign remittance sent by the migrants immensely contribute to the economy of Bangladesh. Protecting the rights of migrant workers is a coordinated effort. The civil society and trade union (TU) networks have long been engaged in this sector of labour and migration governance, facilitating advocacy for migrants and labour rights protection. But these efforts have often remained fragmented. Realising the urgent need for a unified voice, the Trade Union-Civil Society Action Alliance (TUCSAA) has been established as a collective platform for promoting coordination, transparency, and accountability in the migration governance sector. The official launching ceremony of the Trade Union-CSO Action Alliance (TUCSAA) was held at Jatiya Press Club on Monday (November 10). Supported by the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh, TU-CSO Action Alliance organised the event in partnership with the International LabourOrganisation (ILO).

TUCSAA aims to amplify migrant workers’ voices, connect between grassroots realities and national policy, and facilitate reforms in recruitment, welfare fund governance, gender inclusion, and reintegration support.The alliance will be voluntary and long-lasting as well as not project-based. The slogan of the alliance is “Migration for Prosperity:Ensuring Migrants’ Dignity, Safety, Welfare and Reintegration.”

The objectives are as follows:
To present the joint declaration of shared commitments and goals, facilitate dialogue among the stakeholders for reforms and policy coherence in the migration sector and develop a collective advocacy roadmap, focusing on reduced migration costs,well-governed migration practices, advancing gender equity, inclusive, transparent and accountable.

Expected outputs are shared vision and work plan for the alliance, clear roadmap for multi-level coordination with advisory, executive, and district committees, strengthen cooperating mechanisms among the government, trade unions and CSOs, broader media visibility and policy influence to share migrants’ safety and rights and advocating for evidence-based research and recommendations on workers’ protection and reintegration.

Representatives of different organisations have agreed to take initiatives to implement the following steps through coordinated efforts on priority basis:

*Formation of citizens’ committee, mapping citizens’ organisation at district and national levels,
*Skill development by organising regular training workshop, seminar and peer-learning session so that everyone can collectively protect the rights of migrant workers and can influence positively at policy-formation level,
* Gap analysis through study at district and national levels to review the ongoing situation of migrant workers,
*Remittance and financial assistance reformation: Remittance sent by over one crore migrants is 6.96% of the country’s GDP and the backbone of the country’s economy. But it is unfortunate that the migration cost of migrant workers is the highest that they have to bear themselves. Stopping visa trading is the demand of the time. Reformation of Probashi Kallyan Bank is essential so that migrant workers can easily get loans from there. Proposal should be made to send remittance through the banking channel. The guarantor’s certificate will help get a loan at easy term without additional papers.

* Assistance to female migrants: Special programmes should be taken for female migrants so that they can undertake pre-migration training as per requirement of the destined country. Relevant organisations will prepare specialised courses based on the job markets. Modernisation of training is a must as per requirement of foreign job market. This will help extend the opportunity of work of female migrant workers besides ensuringtheir safety and high salary. Priority should be given on their safe migration and raise voice to stop their harassment and violence.

* Gap analysis
* Climate and migration: Because of climate change, internal migration is on the rise in risky areas. To combat the situation, the ministry concerned (Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Climate Change, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Disaster Management), trade unions and all concerned should work in a coordinated manner with each other.
* Reintegration: It is essential to take special measures for reintegration of returnee female migrants.
*Irregular migration: Raise demands to the government for preventing irregular migration.
*Proper and quick implementation of the recommendations of the Labour Reform Commission (LRC) are essential. Initiatives should be taken to work with all stakeholders in a coordinated manner.

Following organizations have agreed with the proposals mentioned above:
These are: Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies-BILS, Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Shramik Dal, Bangladesh Labour Federation (BLF), National Coordination Committee for Workers Education (NCCWE) Bangladesh Jatiya Shramik Jote, , Samajtantrik Shramik Front, Bangladesh Free Trade Union Congress (BFTUC), WARBE Development Foundation, Bangladesh Migrants’ Right Forum Bangladesh Migrant Female Workers’ Federation, Karmajibee Nari, Films for Peace Foundation, Sammilito Shramik Federation and Social Unobstructive Help Association

(The writer is a senior journalist, columnist and senior vice-president of Bangladesh Labour Rights Journalists Forum. E-mail: [email protected])