Editorial
Returnee migrant workers
Let's have a plan for their rehabilitation
THE return of Bangladeshi migrant workers from some countries is but the telltale sign of world economic recession starting to translate into job cuts for our workers in certain countries. A recent report in the business page of this daily says that return of migrant worker showed an upward trend in the recent months.
The returnees are coming back with sad tales to share with their compatriots. A number of them have spoken of sudden lay-offs in the workplaces, especially those in some of the Middle Eastern countries like Dubai and Saudi Arabia and also Malaysia. And in other countries employers asked Bangladeshis to go on 'long vacations' without pay.
It is only natural that such decisions caught our migrant workers unawares, many of whom were compelled to catch a flight the next morning as they had no place to stay after the job-loss. One may well understand the mental anguish and financial trouble the workers have had to go through at such unexpected turn of events. It is well-established fact that they have to pay a large sum of money to the manpower agents at home, which they can only repay after working for a long time abroad. Therefore, those who had gone in the last couple of years or months have to return virtually as paupers.
The overall phenomenon brings up the point that when economically powerful countries are being hit by the fall-out of recession, it is only a matter of time before the Bangladeshi workers faced the brunt of it. Scary as it may sound, there is no way but to brace up to face the challenge with an appropriate strategy for damage control.
We have to carry out a survey of the skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled returnees, categorise them accordingly, and put them on separate lists in a bid to place them wherever possible, on howsoever small a scale possible inside the country. The returnees on a selective basis could also be given bank loan on easier terms to start small enterprises of their own.
The expatriate welfare ministry need not write them off; instead, they could keep them on the waiting list for any future opening in a new country. We believe, the government is thinking of exploring fresh job opportunities for them abroad, something in which our foreign mission should be involved.
At the same time, both government and private sectors in partnership may consider setting up vocational training centres to produce skilled workers who would be fit for assured job markets overseas.
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