Thousands of irregular Bangladeshi workers in UAE might face punishment

FE Team | Published: November 03, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

Naim-Ul-Kairm
Thousands of irregular Bangladeshi workers in the UAE who will be failing to leave that country within the deadline that expires today (Saturday) might face punishment for violating the order.
There are an estimated 60,000 irregular Bangladeshi workers in the UAE who are unlikely to be able to return home before the deadline due to various problems, including collection of out passes, renewal of passports and financial crisis.
Sources said so far 30,000 unauthorised workers could return home while over 10,000 managed to regularise their service after the UAE government ordered deportation and set a deadline for leaving the country.
The UAE government set a deadline on June 3 last and asked all Bangladeshi workers staying there irregularly to return home or regularise their job by September 4.
On the expiry of the deadline, the UAE government extended it up to November 3 dropping the option for regularisation of their jobs.
"Furthermore, our irregular workers were warned of rigorous punishment in case of their failure to return home before the stipulated time," a diplomatic source said.
When asked, he said they are still hopeful that the UAE government will extend the deadline for some days.
"Bangladesh mission in Dubai has approached the authorities concerned there and we are still expecting that the deadline will be extended," he said.
However, sources said thousands of South Asians including Bangladeshis staged demonstration in the UAE in the last few days demanding further extension of the deadline to help them return home.
When asked, they said thousands of turned workers illegal when they switched over to jobs other places without permission from the original recruiting employers.
"Many irregular Bangladeshi workers in the UAE are passing their days in much anxiety as they are unlikely to manage to return home due to financial crisis," said relative of a worker in the city.