Editorial
Forged visas and misery of jobseekers
Identify and punish the cheats
NO fewer than 87 Bangladeshi jobseekers were sent back home from Dubai airport on Monday, after the UAE immigration officials found their visas to be forged. Similar incidents took place in the past also, but no effective measures have so far been taken to save the jobseekers from being swindled by the racket issuing fake visas.
The matter is to be deemed serious enough to draw the attention of all concerned as the cheated jobseekers incurred huge financial loss without being aware of the trap that they were walking into. The report on the latest batch of deportees states that there are some procedural shortcomings which make it possible to forge visas. The biggest problem is that the authenticity of the visas issued by the UAE government cannot be verified here in Bangladesh, as only photocopies of the visas are received by the jobseekers. The governments of the two countries should address the issue and find a way to prevent issuance of forged visas. This is necessary to protect the job seekers' interest and also to avoid the highly embarrassing and regrettable situation created by their deportation.
Our workers are facing all sorts of problems in the Middle Eastern countries like poor salaries and violation of their basic rights. Some host countries are treating them very shabbily even when they are asking for only what is due under employment contracts. This is most unfortunate as violation of workers' rights is not expected in any civilized social setting. But the misfortune that befell the jobseekers at Dubai has more to do with the failure on the part of our government departments concerned to stop fraudulent activities than anything else. When Bangladeshi workers are detected with forged visas at a foreign airport, it does little to lift our already sagging image as a manpower exporting country.
The problems that are arising with our workers in the Middle Eastern countries should pretty much convince the decision makers that recruitment of our workers abroad is still not organised the way it should be. And there are too many loopholes in the recruitment process that expose the workers to all types of foul play. The decision makers should handle the issue on two fronts. First, there should be a clear agreement with the host governments on the terms and conditions of the jobs that will be offered to Bangladeshis. Much emphasis should be laid on the question of their basic rights being upheld. Secondly, the activities of local recruitment agencies must come under some kind of regulation. We cannot allow such a huge number of people being cheated in the name of employment abroad.
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