Ensuring Remittance Workers’ Rights & Welfare
Bangladesh’s migrant workers, or its ‘Remittance Warriors,’ are routinely treated with disrespect, swindled of their savings, and subject to various forms of physical and mental abuse despite making invaluable contributions to Bangladesh’s economy. Here are 8 things the interim government can mandate to alleviate this suffering:
1.Enforce the Overseas Employment and Monitoring Act (OEMA) 2013.
Build the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment’s capacity to enforce the OEMA, especially clauses that penalize or revoke licenses of recruitment agencies and brokers that charge additional fees and defraud workers.
2. Vocational training and language education for higher quality jobs that present fewer risks to health and safety
The majority of migrant workers from Bangladesh engage in unskilled labour such as construction work or housekeeping, which often proves hazardous to their health and safety. Job aspirants should have access to training and education for safer, more skilled jobs.
3. Build awareness about the pre-migration process
Most migrants have to enlist the services of an expensive intermediary or dalal to sort out travel logistics (visas, tickets etc.) because instructions are complex and almost always given in English. A hotline or a mobile app that is widely advertised on TV can explain these procedures in Bangla.
4. Airport lounge for migrant workers
Migrant workers traveling through Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Shah Amanat International Airport, and Osmani International Airport should have access to a lounge with air conditioning, meal and shower facilities in the event of flight delays and cancellations.
5. Help desk for migrant workers at international airports
All international airports in Bangladesh should have a cooperative help desk for migrant workers.
6. Grievance mechanism
The Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment should have a functioning and efficient grievance mechanism workers can appeal to with migration and contractual issues. As policy, migrants facing these issues should not be directed to recruitment agencies and brokers.
7. Cooperation from embassies
Bangladesh’s embassies in migrant destination countries must be prepared and willing to offer timely legal and logistical support to migrant workers.
8. Make legal aid more accessible as prescribed in OEMA
It is imperative to not only have provisions that offer the right to legal aid; it is also important to make lawyers more available to deal with the cases of migrant workers. Lawyers must be employed for such cases in embassy to enforce Sections 27 and 28 ensuring more immigrants can get their voices heard.
There is nevertheless cause for concern about migrant workers’ safety once they leave the country, even though domestic laws provide the essential protections. Lack of a competent monitoring mechanism, as well as inadequate resources and equipment, makes it extremely difficult for authorities to oversee the hiring process and working conditions of these employees.
Written & Edited by : Anjum Chowdhury, Nasrin kornia, LRJ team associate, Nusanta Samayel Audri