Putting emphasis on safe, meaningful migration
Sunday, 12 December 2010
Shahiduzzaman Khan
MINISTER of Labour and Employment Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, at a meeting with a delegation of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) in the city recently, lamented that high migration cost, illegal stay abroad and activities of some unscrupulous manpower traders were contributing to the slow-down in manpower export to some potential countries. This is unfortunate. Despite sincere efforts of the government, the overseas manpower markets are shrinking in some countries where there are immense potentials, he added.
Citing particularly the manpower market in Malaysia, he said illegal stay of some Bangladeshis caused shrinkage of the demand for local workers there. The minister is scheduled to leave for Malaysia today (Sunday) to discuss with the high-ups of the country on some modalities of manpower export.
In 2009, the amount of money sent by the migrants totalled $10.72 billion, constituting about 12 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) of Bangladesh. It is estimated that almost the same amount comes through unofficial channels every year. Remittance is the second biggest source of foreign exchange for the country. But the trend of remittance flow may severely be constrained if the manpower export declines to a considerable extent.
The parliamentary standing committee on expatriate welfare and overseas employment ministry expressed its deep concern over the declining trend of manpower export abroad. In a recent meeting, the committee called for urgent steps by the government to help arrest this trend. It also highlighted the need for searching for new potential overseas job market and reorganise foreign missions of the country.
Although the global economic recession has ended, its impact is still being felt. The rich countries are now reluctant to accept migration from the least developed countries (LDCs). Many developed and developing countries are taking manpower from the surplus countries, but they are offering relatively poor wages and minimum incentives. Migration faces restrictive immigration policies and currently it seems that richer countries are moving to an age of 'anti-migration.' National security is commonly used to justify a tight migration policy. While each country has a legitimate right to security, richer countries allow entry of tourists from middle income and rich countries -- but not of migrants.
Most Bangladeshis on jobs abroad are poor and uneducated. Many of them had sold their ancestral homes and properties at nominal prices to meet the high fees charged by a section of unscrupulous manpower agents. Even after paying a fee of Tk 0.3 million to Tk 0.5 million, their jobs abroad are not secure, in many cases. Also a large number of them do not get jobs as per agreements signed earlier. Both the overseas hiring companies and the local agents play foul with them very often. Such incidents are happening over the years with no remedies in sight. Poor job seekers are, in the process, made to suffer immensely. Migration always involves costs of transportation and the abandonment of many of the few possessions the poor might have. A recent study by International Organisation on Migration (IOM) on Bangladesh has shown that 59.5 per cent of the cost is spent on agents and brokers, that the poorest of the poor cannot afford to migrate, and that the majority starves in situ.
It is not, however, clear how the government will persuade members of BAIRA to take 'nominal' charges from the job seekers. In most cases, recruiting agents do not give payment receipts. If they are forced to do so, they will most likely give receipts to the workers in line with government-approved fees. The hapless job seekers do not have alternatives other than to accept those, as their only mission is to go abroad for maintenance of their families, mostly at a subsistence level. In fact, no logic works here. In this way, the agents will continue to trick the government and the job seekers as well.
Although the country receives a substantial amount of foreign currency from its expatriate workers, etc., it has done a little to channel these funds gainfully for the long term economic development of the country. There have been proposals made to draw funds of the expatriate workers into industrial bonds to be sold by the government. The same could notably increase the rate of remittances while giving a spur to industrialisation of the country which is lagging due to insufficiency of funds. But hard measures to this end and other ways to make best possible use of the remitted moneys are yet to be taken and pursued.
Besides, pragmatic policies are also needed to stop freestyle migration of professionals from Bangladesh. Their leaving in many cases are leading to worrisome brain drain and costing the country dear in futile spending on them to educate and train them for other countries to get the benefit of their services while their unfilled ranks at home create serious gaps in meeting targets of services delivery. There is no denying that the migration of professionals is very difficult to stop. But there should be also some regulations not to create serious problems from their thinning number at home. What should be aimed at is creating a great many number of professionals for sending a large number abroad after meeting country's requirements.
Even though there are legislations to safeguard the interests of the migrant workers, the respective host governments are often rather negligent in implementing these. There are often complications regarding entry due to inappropriate visas, invalid paperwork and dubious job contracts issued by corrupt recruiting agents. Once in service, the main difficulties reported by migrant workers are low, delayed, partial or prolonged non-payment of salaries, as well mistreatment by employers, extremely poor working conditions and lack of welfare provisions or help from Bangladeshi missions.
The government should also positively consider ratification of the 1990 United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. There is a misconception that the Convention will impose additional obligation for the state. A careful review of the convention will reveal that there is nothing more than in the convention what an migrant worker entitled to have as fundamental rights (as a citizen of Bangladesh) as guaranteed by the Constitution.
Some policy makers and senior government officials in Bangladesh are apparently comfortable with the increased number of migrants and remittance flows. They hardly bother about improving the skill and quality of the individuals who are going overseas, or taking measures so that those individuals are not forced to risk their lives. It is a constitutional obligation for the state and its organs to ensure safety and security of the citizens even if they live in overseas destinations. Any omission in this regard amounts to violation of a citizen's fundamental rights.
szkhan@dhaka.net
MINISTER of Labour and Employment Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, at a meeting with a delegation of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) in the city recently, lamented that high migration cost, illegal stay abroad and activities of some unscrupulous manpower traders were contributing to the slow-down in manpower export to some potential countries. This is unfortunate. Despite sincere efforts of the government, the overseas manpower markets are shrinking in some countries where there are immense potentials, he added.
Citing particularly the manpower market in Malaysia, he said illegal stay of some Bangladeshis caused shrinkage of the demand for local workers there. The minister is scheduled to leave for Malaysia today (Sunday) to discuss with the high-ups of the country on some modalities of manpower export.
In 2009, the amount of money sent by the migrants totalled $10.72 billion, constituting about 12 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) of Bangladesh. It is estimated that almost the same amount comes through unofficial channels every year. Remittance is the second biggest source of foreign exchange for the country. But the trend of remittance flow may severely be constrained if the manpower export declines to a considerable extent.
The parliamentary standing committee on expatriate welfare and overseas employment ministry expressed its deep concern over the declining trend of manpower export abroad. In a recent meeting, the committee called for urgent steps by the government to help arrest this trend. It also highlighted the need for searching for new potential overseas job market and reorganise foreign missions of the country.
Although the global economic recession has ended, its impact is still being felt. The rich countries are now reluctant to accept migration from the least developed countries (LDCs). Many developed and developing countries are taking manpower from the surplus countries, but they are offering relatively poor wages and minimum incentives. Migration faces restrictive immigration policies and currently it seems that richer countries are moving to an age of 'anti-migration.' National security is commonly used to justify a tight migration policy. While each country has a legitimate right to security, richer countries allow entry of tourists from middle income and rich countries -- but not of migrants.
Most Bangladeshis on jobs abroad are poor and uneducated. Many of them had sold their ancestral homes and properties at nominal prices to meet the high fees charged by a section of unscrupulous manpower agents. Even after paying a fee of Tk 0.3 million to Tk 0.5 million, their jobs abroad are not secure, in many cases. Also a large number of them do not get jobs as per agreements signed earlier. Both the overseas hiring companies and the local agents play foul with them very often. Such incidents are happening over the years with no remedies in sight. Poor job seekers are, in the process, made to suffer immensely. Migration always involves costs of transportation and the abandonment of many of the few possessions the poor might have. A recent study by International Organisation on Migration (IOM) on Bangladesh has shown that 59.5 per cent of the cost is spent on agents and brokers, that the poorest of the poor cannot afford to migrate, and that the majority starves in situ.
It is not, however, clear how the government will persuade members of BAIRA to take 'nominal' charges from the job seekers. In most cases, recruiting agents do not give payment receipts. If they are forced to do so, they will most likely give receipts to the workers in line with government-approved fees. The hapless job seekers do not have alternatives other than to accept those, as their only mission is to go abroad for maintenance of their families, mostly at a subsistence level. In fact, no logic works here. In this way, the agents will continue to trick the government and the job seekers as well.
Although the country receives a substantial amount of foreign currency from its expatriate workers, etc., it has done a little to channel these funds gainfully for the long term economic development of the country. There have been proposals made to draw funds of the expatriate workers into industrial bonds to be sold by the government. The same could notably increase the rate of remittances while giving a spur to industrialisation of the country which is lagging due to insufficiency of funds. But hard measures to this end and other ways to make best possible use of the remitted moneys are yet to be taken and pursued.
Besides, pragmatic policies are also needed to stop freestyle migration of professionals from Bangladesh. Their leaving in many cases are leading to worrisome brain drain and costing the country dear in futile spending on them to educate and train them for other countries to get the benefit of their services while their unfilled ranks at home create serious gaps in meeting targets of services delivery. There is no denying that the migration of professionals is very difficult to stop. But there should be also some regulations not to create serious problems from their thinning number at home. What should be aimed at is creating a great many number of professionals for sending a large number abroad after meeting country's requirements.
Even though there are legislations to safeguard the interests of the migrant workers, the respective host governments are often rather negligent in implementing these. There are often complications regarding entry due to inappropriate visas, invalid paperwork and dubious job contracts issued by corrupt recruiting agents. Once in service, the main difficulties reported by migrant workers are low, delayed, partial or prolonged non-payment of salaries, as well mistreatment by employers, extremely poor working conditions and lack of welfare provisions or help from Bangladeshi missions.
The government should also positively consider ratification of the 1990 United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. There is a misconception that the Convention will impose additional obligation for the state. A careful review of the convention will reveal that there is nothing more than in the convention what an migrant worker entitled to have as fundamental rights (as a citizen of Bangladesh) as guaranteed by the Constitution.
Some policy makers and senior government officials in Bangladesh are apparently comfortable with the increased number of migrants and remittance flows. They hardly bother about improving the skill and quality of the individuals who are going overseas, or taking measures so that those individuals are not forced to risk their lives. It is a constitutional obligation for the state and its organs to ensure safety and security of the citizens even if they live in overseas destinations. Any omission in this regard amounts to violation of a citizen's fundamental rights.
szkhan@dhaka.net