BD 4th among 5 South Asian countries

Bangladesh has been the fourth migrant worker sending country among five South Asian countries with an estimated annual outflow of 409,000 workers, according to a study of International Labour Organisation (ILO).
It says India remains on the top with sending 747,000 workers annually, followed by Pakistan with 623,000 workers and Nepal with 522,000 workers.
The ILO study "Labour Market Trends Analysis and Labour Migration from South Asia to Gulf Cooperation Council Countries, India and Malaysia" says the estimated annual outflow of migrant workers from five countries in South Asia totals some 2.5 million (based on various estimates for certain years).
The United Nations Population Division estimated in 2013 the world's stock of migrants, defined as persons residing outside their country of birth, at 232 million. In 2010, the ILO estimated the global migrant worker population at around 105.5 million, of which some 30 million (almost 30 per cent) were in Asia.
Responding to lack of needed and critical information, the ILO and GIZ organised a series of studies in 2014 to assess the changing demand for male and female migrant workers from four countries of South Asia - Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan - in selected GCC countries - Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as well as India and Malaysia.
The report finds that migrant workers from South Asia are found in almost all countries around the globe despite flow from the region is increasingly complex. There are evident trends within South Asia, from South Asia to South-East Asia (the region of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN) and from South Asia to GCC member states.
Migrant movements within South Asia are primarily geared towards India and Pakistan. Although these flows are largely undocumented, the United Nations Population Division estimates that India hosts some 6.0 million migrants mainly from Nepal and Bangladesh.
Movements from South Asia to East and South-East Asia are steadily increasing, with Malaysia as the primary destination. Since 2013, Malaysia has been the primary destination (in numbers) of all migrant workers from Nepal (of destinations around the world). There are also smaller movements from South Asia to the Republic of Korea, which has offered a formal Employment Permit System since 2006.
The largest flow of migrant workers from South Asia is to GCC countries with India 96 per cent and Pakistan 94 per cent. Percentage of Bangladeshi migrant workers going to a GCC country was 60 per cent.
Annual outflow of workers from Bangladesh to GCC countries was 243,668. Oman received highest 134,028 workers of Bangladesh, Qatar 57,584 and Bahrain 25,155. But the study said not all GCC governments publish the numbers of their migrant populations or workforce by nationality. Bangladesh is, however, the third largest migrant work sending country according to the estimate registered in Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE with 1.7 million.
Although the ILO could not get information on number of skilled, semi-skilled workers from India among five South Asian countries, it said Bangladeshi workers are dominated by 52 per cent with less skill category of work, followed by 31 per cent skilled. Only 2 per cent professionals are recorded migrated in the world.
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