Consultation on Middlemen for Ethical Recruitment of Migrant Workers

28 February, 2018

The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration resets on the principles adopted in the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and core international human rights treaties. The zero draft with 22 core commitments of this compact has been released on 5th February, 2018. It has been emphasized from the Bangladeshi delegates that there has to be a strong inter linkage between the Compact and the Agenda 2030 for positive contribution of migrants for inclusive growth and sustainable development. Bangladeshi delegates always recognize throughout the phase 1 and phase 2 that international migration is a multidimensional reality of major relevance for the development of countries of origin, transit and destination, which requires coherent and comprehensive responses. The successful implementation of its actionable commitments on the ground will be a challenge. Only a robust follow-up and review mechanism may ensure the future implementation of GCM. As well as Global Compact may be seen as the milestone but not the end of our efforts to address the issue of migration holistically. It is believed that similar dialogues and constructive engagement of parliamentarians on migration needs to be arranged on a regular basis at regional and global levels. Guests of the Program Parliamentarian Caucus on Migration and Development organized a program to reflect the Intergovernmental Negotiations on the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration with multi stakeholders on 28th February, 2018 at CIRDAP Auditorium. Honorable State Minister Mr. Md. Shahriar Alam, MP, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh graced the occasion as Chief Guest. In this program, Mr. Md. Israfil Alam, MP, Chair of Parliamentarian Caucus on Migration and Development was the chair of the program and he moderated the entire program. Ms. Nahida Sobhan, Director General, (MEA), Ministry of Foreign Affairs talked about the Government’s Negotiation on GCM. Mr. Syed Saiful Haque, Chairman, WARBE Development Foundation, briefly reflected the civil society’s stand on GCM. As honorable Guest Speakers, Ms. Advocate HosneAraLutfa Dalia, MP, Member of Parliamentarian Caucus on Migration & Development (PCMD), Ms. Roksana Yasmin Suty, MP, member of PCMD, Ms. Jebusnessa Afroz, MP, member of PCMD, Mr. Selim Reza, Director General, Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET). Lawmakers, officials from foreign and expatriate welfare ministries, civil society members, trade union leaders, national & international NGOs, migrant rights activists, returnee migrants & migrants family members and senior journalists who took part in the consultation. Reflection on Government Negotiations on GCM Ms. Nahida Sobhan, Director General, (MEA), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that GCM is the brainchild of Bangladesh. She mentioned that Bangladesh has been trying to create a global treaty for the countries which will be binding in nature or partially binding. In the zero draft of GCM, it has been mentioned that this compact will be legally non-binding in nature. Bangladesh has put a strong dissatisfaction on this issue. Bangladesh has taken part in different bilateral meetings on this issue. She mentioned that Bangladesh is taking strong stand on the migration issue in the UN headquarters on the zero draft of GCM. She mentioned that in the zero draft of GCM Climate induced migration has been included. Reflection on Civil Society Engagement on GCM Mr. Syed Saiful Haque, Chairman, WARBE Development Foundation, briefly talked about the GCM and how the civil society is involved with the GCM. He said that since 2016, at the GFMD, GCM discussion started taking place. CSOs has organized and participated in different National, Regional and Global Level Consultation on GCM. He mentioned that CSO has presented a Global Civil Society Recommendation for GCM, Now and How: Ten Acts for the Global Compact: A civil society vision for a transformative agenda for human mobility, migration and development. He also mentioned the Preparatory phase of GCM where the CSOs intervened. Open Discussion In the open discussion session Ms. Ishrat Shamim, Executive Director, CWCS, said that lack of enough segregated data in the migration sector creates various problems. She strongly suggested creating database for returnee migrants. She also mentioned to separate domestic worker’s law from the migrant workers’ law. Mr. Faruque Ahmed, Secretary General, WARBE Development Foundation, requested to take immediate action for the safety of migrants and said that GCM should be binding in nature. Mr. Binoy Krishna Mollik, Executive Director, Rights Jessore, talked about remittance management issue, high migration cost and middlemen issue. He also mentioned that awareness will help to minimize the migration problems. Mr. Assaduzzaman, Returnee Migrant worker, talked about creating mo

19 February, 2018

One Knowledge Sharing Workshop on Safe, Orderly, Regular Migration and the Protection of Migrant’s Rights took place in Circuit House, Jessore on 19th November, which was organized by Parliamentarian Caucus on Migration and Development. Mr. Israfil Alam, MP, Chair of Parliamentarian Caucus on Migration and Development thanked everyone for attending the workshop. He said that labour migration is one of the important sources for the development of the country. He then talked about the activities of Parliamentarian Caucus on Migration and Development. He mentioned that the members of Parliamentarian Caucus working in the grassroots level, national level and even in the international level.He mentioned the outcomes of GFMD 2017. He said that awareness among the people can reduce many problems in the migration sector. That’s why starting from the divisional level, then district level, then union level and finally in the village level awareness programme is needed. He also mentioned that as this caucus is attending in the divisional level programs, the members are gathering recommendations that are coming from the people who have faced in the real life and also from the learned audiences. He said that we will take these recommendations to our Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina if it’s needed. Mr. Syed Saiful Haque, Chairman, WARBE Development Foundation, mentioned some of the achievements of the Parliamentarian Caucus on Migration and Development so far from its inauguration on 31st March 2017. In this short period of time this caucus has been very active in the migration sectors. He said that we got different important recommendations throughout the visits in the divisional level. He said that members of the caucus have already brought the issues of migration process in the parliament. He also said that the members of the caucus had different meetings with civil society, government officials and with the private sector as well. He mentioned that the percentage of remittance has declined compared to the previous years. He also mentioned that the number of women migrant workers is increasing very rapidly but women are being victimize in the destination countries more often than the male migrant workers. So we all need to work on ensuring security of the women migrant workers in the destination countries. He praised the initiatives of TTC and the government’s achievement on making the rules of Overseas Employment Act 2013 in 2017. He lastly mentioned that dalal/middlemen need to be regularized by law and the laws should be implemented properly. Stories of Victims: Jahanara Begum went to Saudi Arab and she was told to get 16,000taka. When she reached there she was moved into 2 houses for work. She used to tell to serve the male guest in a very wrong way when she denied to do so she was beaten up so bad by her employer that she wanted to come back to Bangladesh right away. But her employer told her that he bought her with 70000 taka so he can whatever he wants to do with her. Then she acted like she was trying to commit suicide, after that she came back to Bangladesh. And now she is living a very miserable life. Asma Begum went to abroad by a middleman who told her that she will be getting 25000 taka per month. She used to work so hard and there a Negro guy started disturbing her at her workplace. Then she came back to Bangladesh by spending 40000taka. Sabina was in Saudi Arab for 6 months as a domestic worker and she spent 50000 taka to go there. She was imprisoned in the house, her mobile phone and also her passport were snatched away from her. As she could not speak their language she used to get beaten up for not understanding what they are asking her to do. She was not provided with good foods to eat. Morium, a middleman who used to work abroad now is sending women migrant workers in the destination countries. Before sending she always sends the women migrant workers in TTC to get the training. She mentioned that those she has sent so far are doing well in the destination countries. SokhinaKhatun, a returnee migrant worker from Lebanon. She was provoked by a middleman named Rohim, who told her that she would get 20,000 taka per month in abroad. But she did not get paid the amount she was told about. She was there for 3 years and did not get her salary properly. Even her husband died after 6months of her leave. And she was not allowed to contact with her family. Mohammad Forid, wanted to go to Qatar but middlemen sent him to Iraq by telling him that he will earn more money in Iraq than Qatar. After reaching there he was captive with 180 other people for 9months. Then he came back to Bangladesh and triedto file a case against the middleman and the recruiting agency. But the recruiting agency filed a case against him for harassment. He also went to BMET arbitration cell but did not get any benefit from there. Moslem Ali, who went to Saudi Arab by a help of a policeman by giving him 9lakhs ta

19 February, 2018

A Knowledge Sharing Workshop on safe migration with Multi-Stakeholders & Networks took place on 19th October 2017 in Cox’s Bazar, which was organized by Parliamentarians Caucus on Migration & Development (PCMD). Mr. Israfil Alam, MP, Chair, PCMD was the chief guest of the workshop. The programme was moderated by Didarul Alam Rashed, Executive Director, Nongor. Mr. Israfil Alam, MP, Chair, PCMD in his welcome speech praised the Government of Bangladesh on its work on the Rohingya issues. He also mentioned the development works and also the attempts to rehabilitate the Rohingya people. Then he talked about the other Divisional level knowledge sharing workshops on safe migration with multi stakeholders & networks. Then he talked about the objectives of the program.The objectives of this workshop are- To share knowledge about safe migration process, regular channels and reduce migration cost. To strengthen the networking capacity of BOAF in National & Divisional Level. Understanding the role of network to effective intervention for migrants’ rights issue. After that Ms. Jasiya Khatoon, Director, WARBE Development Foundation, talked about the activities of Parliamentarian Caucus on Migration & Development. The caucus has been organizing different programs in different divisions. At the same time the members of this caucus also participated in the international events to discuss migration issues. Mr. Saiful Haque, Chairman, WARBE Development Foundation briefly talked about the migration scenario. He talked about how the migrant workers face difficulties in the process of migration. He said that from 1976 to till now 1,11,879 people has migrated as migrant workers in almost 162 countries. Mr. Forkan, Victim to the act caused by middleman, said that he went to Malaysia by the help of a middleman named Yeasin and his assistance named Romiz. But on his way he was captured by the Thai Police for being undocumented and he had to spend 9 months in jail. Another victim Md. Ishak, Sabrang, Teknaf said that due to the hassle created by the Passport Office and corruption by the police he could not create his passport. Then he came to know about going to abroad without any passport by using ship from a middleman named Abul Kashem. There were 139 people with him who had to face a very miserable situation. YPSA helped him to rehabilitate. Md. Morshed, another victim from Saint Martin, Teknaf said that on 26th March 2015, he was trafficked forcefully when he did not have any desire to go abroad. He said that there were more than 2500 people from Bangladesh and Myanmar. He had to go through a very miserable situation on that time. Somehow he got rescued. Md. Nazrul Islam, Gorjoniya, Ramu shared his experience with the audience. He said that he wanted to go to Malaysia, so he asked an owner of a fishing board to take him to Malaysia. On that boat he saw there were more than 750 people, from them 400 people were Bangladeshi. He had to live in jail for 2 years and 9 months in Thailand. Victim Shumon Barua, West Baruapara, Cox’s Bazar told that a middleman named Ziaur Rahman took him to teknaf promising that he will send Shumon in regular way to abroad. Shumon was sold by the middleman for 15,000 taka. Then he was taken in the trawler where there were 15 more people like him. They were given few amounts of dry foods and 5 liters water to survive. After 15days hey reached in Thailand where they were tortured and forced to call in their house to give 3 lakhs taka as ransom for their life. Then after one month he was captured by the Thai police and he had to stay in the jail for 11months. Ms. Joshna Akter, Choukoria said that middleman Dilowara told her to give her 3,50,000 taka to go to Saudi Arab. So Joshna gave her 40,000 taka initially and then she get her visa checked. Then she realized that she was being trafficked to Bahrain. After that she flew in Dhaka and she was being threatened by the middleman. When she complaint against her to the UNO, the matter started to solve. Mr. Faruque Ahmed, Secretary General, WARBE Development Foundation talked briefly about the activities of WARBE Development Foundation. Mr. Nazmul Ahsan, Chairman, BOAF talked about the contributions of the migrant workers in economy of Bangladesh. Md. Ali Jinnat, Staff Reporter, Daily Star said that there have been series of reports about issues of migration and trafficking. He said that the prominent figures of the society are involved in trafficking. Ms. Saleha Khatun, British Council, talked briefly about the PROKAS Programme. And then she advised the audience to query in DEMO office before going to abroad. Ms. Hosne Ara Lutfa Dalia, MP, was very disappointed to hear about the stories about the victims. She mentioned that the vulnerable situation of these innocent people cannot be ignored.

19 February, 2018

Parliamentarians Caucus on Migration and Development on Wednesday called for taking immediate initiatives to control the thousands of recruitment middlemen by bringing them under the purview of law to protect the migrant workers getting cheated and harassed by middlemen. They made the remarks while speaking at ‘Hearing on Migrants Rights Violation for Ensuring Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration’ at Parliament members club, organized by the Parliamentarians Caucus on Migration and Development. Deputy Speaker of the National Parliament Md Fazle Rabbi Miah MP attended the hearing as chief guest and he urged the Ministry of Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment for taking necessary steps to bring an amendment to the Overseas Employment and Migrants Act 2013 accommodating the issues of middlemen. Hearing the migrants’ problems, he said that the middlemen were cheating the migrant workers who were seeking overseas jobs and by this ways they were creating obstacles on remittances inflows. ‘The remittance inflow will get seriously hampered unless the migrant workers are protected from the clutch of the middlemen,’ he said. Chairman of Parliamentarians Caucus on Migration and Development Md Israfil Alam MP who presided over the hearing said that the migrants were often being cheated by the middlemen who should be brought under regulations to ensure safe, orderly and regular migration. ‘Every year thousands of workers, mostly the youths, are migrating to overseas countries either getting pushed by the poverty or expecting their better life abroad. They are often cheated by the middlemen,’ he said. Members of Parliamentarian Caucus on Migration and Development Advocate Hoseney Ara Lutfa Dalia MP, Salina Jahan Lita MP and Safura Begum MP, among others also spoke at the hearing. They heard sufferings of male and female migrants who have come from different districts being cheated by the middlemen at home and by employers at destination countries of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Jordan, Lebanon and Qatar. They raised complaints of charging high cost of migration, cheating, sexual abuse, overload of works, and denial of wages. At least 10 middlemen participated in the hearing and they demanded their legal recognition as sub agents by law with the recruiting agencies concerned to make recruitment process more transparent. WARBE Development Foundation secretary general Faruque Ahmed said that some of female workers were sent back home after getting them pregnant abroad. He urged the government to take legal actions against the sexual violation in the destination countries by Bangladesh embassy concern, so that they could get their compensations. University teacher Israt Shamim said that the government should send workers abroad after providing them training. WARBE Development Foundation chairman Syed Saiful Haque said that the middlemen should be brought under legal framework. Later, the members of the Parliamentarians Caucus on Migration and Development had a meeting with civil society members and development partners at same venue and discussed about Bangladesh’s participation at the stocktaking meeting to be held in Mexico in next December.

11 December, 2017

Due to lack of implementation of migration laws, Bangladeshi migrant workers are frequently getting harassed and cheated by the middlemen at start-up stage of their overseas migration at home, experts said on Sunday.Speaking at a consultation, labour leaders, migrant rights campaigners, civil society members and returned migrants called for strict proper implementation of the laws of the land to punish the middlemen and ensure safe labour migration. On occasion of International Human Rights Day, WARBE Development Foundation organized the consultation on ‘Human Rights Violation of Bangladeshi Migrants and Their Protection’ at National Press Club. Lawmaker and member of the Parliamentarian Caucus of Migration and Development Roksana Yasmin Suty, speaking as chief guest, said that the government would take action if true and specific allegations were lodged with government. The lawmaker, however, stressed for creating mass awareness to keep the migration cost at lower level and control the race of middlemen. Trade Union labour leader Abul Hossain said that as the migration was one of the fundamental rights of the people and they should be given the rights of safe movement although the real situation was opposite. Abu Hossain also said that effective implementation of laws were needed to ensure safe labour migration from the country. Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Program executive director Omar Faruque Chowdhury said that the government must be proactive to protect the rights of Bangladeshi migrant workers as they were sending hard earned remittances. He alleged that the Overseas Employment and Migrants Act 2013 actually protected the rights of middlemen not the migrant workers. Manusher Jonno Foundation’s programme manager Sarowat Binte Islam said that it was very to mention that the rights of the female migrants were being violated as they were cheated at home and were also abused at the destination countries. WARBE Development Foundation secretary general Faruque Ahmed said that Bangladesh mission should ensure that the sexually abused female migrants were getting their justice at the country of destinations. At the Arab countries implementation of law was very strict and Bangladeshi victims would get compensations if legal process was taken there, he observed. Bangladesh Ovibashi Adhikar Forum chairman Nazmul Ahsan said that migrant workers were not getting their minimum rights as their problems started at home, they faced problems in destinations and after returning home, WARBE Development Foundation director Jasiya Khatoon who presented keynote said that over one crore migrant workers from Bangladesh were working in 162 countries. Many of them have migrated with help of middlemen paying high cost for migration, she said. She called for protection of the rights of the country’s migrant workers at home and abroad. Returned migrants Rehana Begum, Soma, Kamala and Rafiqul Islam shared their bad and good experiences of migration at the consultation

22 October, 2017

The introductory dialogue between the Parliamentarians Caucus on Migration and Development and the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies on Safe, Orderly, Regular Migration was held at the BAIRA conference room on Wednesday. Chairman of Parliamentarians Caucus on Migration and Development Israfil Alam MP who spoke at the dialogue as the chief guest urged the BAIRA leaders to keep the list of 1,400 members posted on its website with performance records so that the migrant workers, the main target groups, could choose better recruiting agencies to get services for migration. Israfil Alam requested all of the registered recruiting agencies to provide ID cards to their sub-agents under specific codes of conducts. ‘I think that such system can protect migrant workers from exploitation of the middlemen and help upholding reputation of the recruiting agencies,’ he said. Members of the Parliamentarians Caucus on Migration and Development and lawmakers Hosne Ara Lutfa Dalia MP, Altaf Ali MP and Suhrab Uddin MP were also present at the introductory dialogue with BAIRA. BAIRA resident Benjir Ahmed, who presided over meeting, said that the recruiting agencies having licenses from the government could never traffic workers so they should not be harassed by law enforcing agencies. Benjir Ahmed, a former MP, urged the government to select Commercially Important Persons (CIP) from the BAIRA members considering their contribution to the national economy. BAIRA secretary general Ruhul Amin requested the government to cancel the system of attestation of job visas by the labour attaches saying that the system was backdated and computerized digital system could now check the authenticity of the job visas. WARBE development Foundation chairman Syed Saiful Haque lauded the significant role of recruiting agencies which sent more than one crore workers abroad. He urged the BAIRA leaders to come up with positive attitudes and play due role in ensuring safe, orderly and regular migration from Bangladesh. WARBE Development Foundation secretary general Faruque Ahmed and BAIRA joint secretary general Shameem Ahmed Chowdhury Noman, representatives of British Council’ PROKAS programme Tanvir Mahmud and Saleha Khatun among other leaders were present at the dialogue.