Brokers Benefited Cheating Migrant Workers: Deputy Speaker

08 May, 2018

The female workers who are technically skilled and educated should go to work abroad as they will be capable enough to get themselves protected from sexual abuses and other problems, said labour migration experts. Migrants’ rights activists, trade union leaders and returnee workers said that female workers should not be sent abroad for domestic job which was vulnerable to sexual abuse unless the state failed to take full protection measures. They made their observations while speaking at a dialogue on celebrating International Workers’ Day-2018, jointly organized by WARBE Development Foundation and Bangladesh Ovibashi Adhikar Forum at the National Press Club. Speaking as chief at dialogue on ‘Ensure and Protect Migrant Workers Rights and Safety’ member of the Parliamentarians Caucus on Migration and Development, Hosne Ara Lutfa Dalia MP said that there were lots of domestic works at home and the female workers need not go abroad with the housemaid jobs. ‘Without being skilled and educated, female workers should not go abroad to work. If necessary only meritorious female workers will go abroad,’ she said, adding that female workers could not be made skilled with ‘one month trainings’ at home. The lawmaker expressed her solidarity with the right activists who demanded protection of rights of the female migrant workers who were frequently returning home suffering sexual harassment and others abuses abroad. WARBE Development Foundation chairman Syed Saiful Haque who presided over the dialogue said that it was urgently needed to protect rights of domestic workers at home by taking legal steps. ‘Then we can proceed to advocate for upholding the rights of workers at the foreign countries,’ he said. BOAF chairman Nazmul Ahsan said that domestic workers were forced to work more hours and their working hours and wages should be fixed and protected by signing the bilateral agreements. He called for bring the middlemen under the government’s regulation. WARBE Development Foundation secretary general Faruque Ahmed said that the state must take responsibility to protect the country’s all citizens including the female migrant workers being abused abroad. ‘If it fails to protect them, female workers should not be sent abroad,’ he said. Faruque Ahmed demanded the government to conduct fresh postmortem of dead bodies of migrant workers coming home to discover real cause of deaths in Bangladesh. Domestic worker leader Murshida Akhter said that the domestic workers were more vulnerable groups in the country and their rights should be protected through enforcing national policy and ratifying ILO convention 189 without delay. BOAF member Shimanto Shiraj said that boosting foreign currency reserve has been possible only for the country’s 1.15 crore migrant workers who were working abroad and sending money back home. WARBE Development Foundation director Jasiya Khatoon moderated the dialogue while its monitoring and documentation officer Roksana Mohammed presented keynote paper.

07 May, 2018

Bangladesh parliamentarians who were going to Malaysia with fact finding mission should boldly negotiate with the Malaysian authorities to protect the rights of the country’s migrant workers employed in the country. Migration experts and migrants’ rights campaigners on Wednesday made their suggestions while speaking at coordination meeting of the Bangladesh Parliamentarians Caucus on Migration and Development at the conference room of Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training in Dhaka. They also suggested the outgoing Bangladesh team for raising issues with the Malaysian authorities to break syndicate of recruiting agents sending workers to Malaysia taking joint steps to stop visa trading for reducing high migration cost. They also called for taking the mutual steps to remove the levies on the workers frequently imposed and increased by the government of the host country. Chairman of the parliamentarians’ caucus on migration and development Israfil Alam MP along with two caucus members Md Ayeen Uddin MP and Moh Salim Uddin Tarafder MP took the suggestions from the migration experts at the meeting. A Bangladesh delegation led by Israfil Alam MP left for Malaysia as Fact Finding Mission on official visit on April 20-22. Migrant Forum in Asia organized the field visit of the fact finding mission. Participants for the field were parliamentarians only from Nepal and Bangladesh. The number of participants who were around 6-10 parliamentarians would have meetings with relevant government ministries, with specific members of the Parliament, Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, migrants community of Nepali and Bangladeshi, civil society and trade unions and foreign missions of Bangladesh and Nepal. Speaking at the meeting, Dhaka University’s international relations Professor CR Abrar, also executive director of Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit, said that the Caucus members should raise their voice boldly so that the country’s workers could get atmosphere of working with ‘dignity and accountability.’ He suggested the Bangladesh parliamentarians to ask their counterparts in Malaysia on which criteria basis the syndicate of recruiting agencies were formed to send workers to Malaysia. Abrar mentioned that for many employers, there were many workers becoming irregular in destination countries. He also pointed out lack of coordination between labour attaches and foreign ministry officials at Bangladesh high commissions affecting migrants’ rights. WARBE Development Foundation chairman Syed Saiful Haque said that the highest number of workers had been sent to Malaysia in 2008-2009 under the ‘Calling Visas’ and they had to face immense problems there. Describing the fact finding mission of the parliamentarians as milestone, he said that the delegation should find out fact whether Bangladeshi workers were getting jobs nor not under the G2G plus visas in Malaysia currently. Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Program chairman Shakirul Islam said that it was very essential to find out who were getting most benefitted by sending migrant workers to Malaysia. ‘Identify who involve with the visa trading mechanism in Bangladesh and Malaysia,’ he said. WARBE Development Foundation secretary general Faruque Ahmed said that Bangladeshi workers were forced to live in substandard accommodation in Malaysia and their rights issues should be protected by the employers. ‘Imposing levy on the migrant workers should be cut immediately through mutual discussion with the Malaysia authorities,’ he suggested. Bangladeshi Ovhibashi Mohila Sramik Association director Sumaiya Islam said that undocumented workers were in bad condition as they were not getting jobs in Malaysia. ‘It is essential to find out how many Bangladeshis passing days in jails and hospitals abroad,’ she said. Bangladesh Ovibashi Adhikar Forum chairman Nazmul Ahsan said that migrants have often lodged the complaints of negligence of the Bangladesh embassy officials. Those problems should be solved, he said. BMET director general Salim Reza said that concerted efforts should be taken to ensure safe and orderly migration from Bangladesh. He, however, put emphasis on promoting migration of skilled workers to reduce their problems at home and abroad. BMET additional DG Tajul Islam said that all recruiting agencies must be united to stop visa trading to reduce migration cost. BAIRA joint secretary general Shameem Ahmed Chowdhury Noman said that rational migration cost should be set up and it should be announced through media outlets to make people aware. BMET director (immigration) Atiq Rahman said that Malaysia labour market should be expanded more as most of the tradition markets in Middle East region were in problems. OKUP executive director Omar Faruque said that recruiting agencies were enjoying benefits from the migration laws that were serving interest of agents not migrants.

29 May, 2018

Bangladesh Ovibashi Adhikar Forum on Thursday organized national conference-2018 at National Press Club with aiming to protect the rights and dignity of Bangladeshi Migrant workers. Representatives from Parliamentarians Caucus and migrant rights activists who spoke at the conference sought the intervention of the Prime Minister to stop visa trading for reducing migration cost for the outgoing migrant workers. They stressed the need for creating massive awareness at the grassroots level to ensure safe, orderly and regular migration from Bangladesh. Speaking as chief guest member of Parliamentarians Caucus on Migration and Development Jebunnesa Afroz MP said that the country’s economy has been vibrant die to inflow of remittance sent by the migrant workers from abroad. She said that Prime Minister Office, ministries of expatriates welfare and overseas employment, foreign affairs and youth would have to work together to ensure safe and skilled migration. The lawmaker urged the government and non-government organizations to unitedly work to create awareness at the grassroots level about safe migration. BOAF chief adviser Syed Saiful Haque said that inflow of remittances has reduced in last year especially from Saudi Arabia due to visa trading that caused high cost of migration. The intervention of the prime minister was urgently needed to stop the visa trading, he said. Saiful said that poor migrant workers have been sending their hard earned remittance back home although the government has no provided incentives for them. Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies joint secretary general Shameem Ahmed Chowdhury Noman said that due to lack of physical fitness, adequate training and proper communication skills, Bangladeshi workers were being paid lower wages abroad. International Labour Organization’s national programme officer Rahnuma Salam Khan said that massive campaigns should be launched at the remote and grassroots areas from villages to towns to ensure safe migration. She said that each of the migrant workers must have skill on specific trade, knowledge on spoken languages and rules of the recipient countries before going to work abroad. In his welcome addresses, BOAF secretary general Faruque Ahmed said that 22 Bangladeshi female migrant workers have recently committed suicide in the Middle East countries and many female workers were still facing abuses and other problems abroad. He said that the female domestic workers should not be sent abroad without taking protective measures for them. BOAF Chairman Nazmul Ahsan said that his organization had networking in 64 districts.

12 March, 2018

MasterCard in partnership with WARBE Development Foundation on Monday announced the Grassroots Level Financial Education program on Remittance Utilization, Investment and Savings aiming to educate and train more 35,000 Migrant Workers and their left-behind families. Mastercard-WARBE Development Foundation already trained 15,000 migrant workers and their left-behind families in the first phase about proper sending remittance and it utilizations and they targeted to train more 35,000 migrants and their family members in upcoming second phase, the organizers informed the launching ceremony held at a city hotel. Over 11 million Bangladeshi workers who were employed abroad and their families who lived in rural areas of Bangladesh were dependent financially on the foreign remittance. However, most of these people are not aware about the authentic remittance transaction process and its proper utilization. MasterCard through this initiative wants to aware and educate these communities on the proper way of remittance transfer, saving practices and its effective utilization of remittance. State Minister for Finance and Planning Muhammad Abdul Mannan who spoke as chief guest said that the country’s migrant workers in many countries were leading miserable life and they were sending their hard earned remittance back home. ‘Migrants are mostly sending back their money through informal channels but they will have to be motivated to send money through legal channels,’ he said. Speaking on the occasion Syed Mohammad Kamal, Country Manager of Mastercard said that in Bangladesh, livelihood of a large number of people was dependent on the foreign remittance sent by their near and dear ones. Stressing the need for creating awareness about remittance among migrants, he said, ‘We believe that this training will equip these communities with the knowledge and skill sets to create their own opportunities and pursue their dreams, resulting in long-term benefits, not just for themselves, but also their families and society at large.’ Syed Saiful Haque, Chairman, WARBE Development Foundation said that despite such large amount of remittance being sent from abroad by the migrant workers, their families were not being able to utilize the money properly due to lack of knowledge in remittance management. ‘I hope that, this program will be successful in educating these rural people on how to properly manage their remittance.’ Saiful Haque said that there was no step taken by the government for the country’s wage earners who were contributing to the rural development and poverty alleviation. Due to visa trading, huge amount of remittance was being used by the brokers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia without sending them back home, he said, adding that the migrant workers were being affected by high cost of migration and middle in recruitment process. Lawmakers, senior officials and migration experts who were speaking at the launching ceremony expressed worries at the drastic fall in remittance inflow saying the declining remittances would badly affect the development activities in the country. They said that the migrants’ low wages abroad, high cost of migration, visa trading and the intake of remittance through informal channels caused the decline of remittance. The government should provide incentives for the migrant workers to promote sending their hard-earned remittance through proper channels to boost foreign currency reserve, they Chairman of Parliamentarian Caucus on Migration and Development Israfil Alam MP said that efforts must be taken to stop sending remittance through informal channels. ‘I request the finance ministry to provide incentives to the wage earners,’ he said, adding that remittance inflow has dropped to $13 billion in 2017 from nearly $16 billion in two year ago although overseas employment has substantially increased. Members of the Parliamentarian Caucus on Migration and Development Hosne Ara Lutfa Dalia MP, Mehjabeen Khaled MP and Jebunnesa Afroz MP, additional secretary to expatriates welfare and overseas employment ministry Ahmed Munirus Saleheen, WARBE DF director Jasiya Khatoon and Mastercard consultant Marilyn Bristi Gomes also spoke at the program. Beneficiaries Aklima Begum from Tangail and Abdul Latif from Keraniganj also shared their experiences at the program.

18 March, 2018

Migrant rights activists on Thursday urged the government to stop sending the women migrant workers to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries unless it takes responsibility to protect them at the destinations. Speaking at a discussion, on occasion of celebrating international women’s day, they said that image of the country has been seriously tarnished by the frequent violations of the migrants’ rights abroad. Bangladeshi female workers who are mostly employed as housemaids often fall victims of sexual abuse, denial of wages and tortures. They made the remarks while speaking at the opinion exchange meeting, organized by WARBE Development Foundation at the National Press Club. Labour leaders, civil society members, university teachers, students, returnee migrants and women leaders from various organizations took part in the discussions titled ‘Time is Now: Action for Protecting Women Migrants.’ Sharing her experience, returnee female migrant Shahnaj Begum said that she returned home four months ago from Jordan where she had worked for 30 months as housemaid. Shahnaj who hailed from Lalbagh of Dhaka had migrated to Jordan in 2015 by paying Tk 60,000 to local broker but she had to face excessive works, insufficient foods and denial of her eight month wages. Another migrant Jahanara Begum who returned from Saudi Arabia said that the young sons of the employer could not let her sleep in the night due to meet their ‘sexual desire.’ ‘Three times I had to escape from the house of employer due to torture and abuse,’ she said, adding that the Saudi police later arrested and sent beck her home within eight of her migration. Yesmin, another returnee from the KSA, also narrated bad experiences that she had been tortured, abused by her employer. Speaking as panel discussant, Bangladesh Ovibashi Adhikar Forum’ chairman Nazmul Ahsan said that there were so many reports that Bangladeshi female migrants were being sexually abused by the male employers and their sons in the KSA. As an official team from Bangladesh is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia on March 12, he said ‘our demand is to raise the issue with Saudi government to protect them immediately.’ ‘Otherwise, not a single female worker should be sent abroad without protections.’ he said. WARBE DF secretary general Faruque Ahmed said that the sending of female workers to the KSA on conditions of recruiting male workers from Bangladesh was tarnishing the dignity and image of the country. ‘Overseas countries have certain demand of migrant workers, so they will have to recruit workers under Bilateral Agreements, stipulating all rights,’ he demanded. Faruque, also a returnee migrant turned rights activist, said that ‘If the government fails to take responsibility to ensure protection of the female workers at workplaces, we are calling to stop sending the women abroad.’ For an immediate measure of protection, he had proposed that the female workers should be allowed to spend their night at dormitories with other housemaids from Bangladesh under supervision of Bangladesh authorities. Dhaka University international relations’ associate professor Tanzim Uddin Khan said that it was the responsibility of the state to protect its citizens and expatriates who were facing problems at home and abroad. ‘If there is issue of the female migrant in danger abroad, it will be more important for the stare to protect them,’ he said. Tanzim Uddin described the migrant workers as ‘blood cells’ and ‘hearts of the country’s economy’ said that the state should immediately take responsibility to protect the migrant workers facing problems abroad. WARBE DF chairman Syed Saiful Haque who presided over the meeting said that it would be impossible to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals without ensuring the equal rights of the female workers at home and abroad. Trade union leader Abul Hossain called upon the female folks to raise their voices to build their own fates. National Domestic Women Workers Union general secretary Murshida Akhter demanded that the government should enact law immediately in accordance with Domestic Workers’ Protection and Welfare Policy 2015. She also urged the government to ratify the ILO Convention 189 that upholds immigrant workers’ rights including access to decent jobs, proper wages, health safety and other occupational rights abroad. WARBE DF director Jasiya Khatoon, who moderated the discussion, said that the government was playing weak role in protecting rights of the country’s migrants facing problems in the Middle East. In the morning, WARBE Development Foundation, the grassroots migrants organizer, had formed a human chain in front of National Press Club in expressing its solidarity with celebration of International Women’s Day.

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