Govt pursuing extention of UAE deportation deadline

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Naim-Ul-Karim
The government is persuading the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to extend the deadline further on deportation of Bangladeshi workers staying there illegally to facilitate their return home, a diplomatic source said.
The UAE government set a deadline on June 03 and asked all Bangladeshi workers staying there illegally to return home or regularise their job by September 04.
On expiry of the deadline, the UAE government extended it up to November 03 but dropped the option for regularisation of job to stay in that country any longer and asked them to return home by the stipulated time or face rigorous punishment.
Bangladesh mission in the UAE has been asked to continue its persuasion with the authorities concerned there to further extend the deadline to allow thousands of Bangladesh workers who are still staying there to return home.
They said so far, 25,000 unauthorised workers could return home while over 10,000 managed to regularise their jobs after the UAE government ordered deportation and set a deadline under a general mercy.
A diplomatic source said all workers staying illegally, who could not regularise their jobs before the previous deadline expired on September 4, are collecting out-passes from the Bangladesh mission in the UAE to return home.
He said it will be really tough for all illegal workers to return home before the fresh deadline expires as processing including renewal of passports or providing out-passes for their return are taking time due to huge rush.
The government statistics show that some 40,000 are overstaying in the country, sources said.
Asked about the reason of their becoming unauthorised, they said a job seeker becomes illegal migrant when he or she changes job without permission of the recruiting company.
Besides, sources said, there are unauthorised workers who have gone there without valid documents in connivance with a section of dishonest recruiters.