Page 43 - IBT Sept 2021 (1)

Labor Migration HOPE FOR OUR
UNSUNG HEROES

interest that was generated in our work emboldened our not a homogenous group. There are to disseminate its recommendations.
initiative. Notably, we always strived to bring the migrants to different categories of returnee It called on the government to provide
speak for themselves and share their own struggles. In doing migrants. Those who want to engage in financial grants to the returnee
all these, RMMRU made modest contribution in amending the entrepreneurial activities should be migrants, members of their families
policy with regard to migration of women, in the initial imparted training in financial literacy, and also to the families who stopped
drafting of the Overseas Employment Policy, 2006, the book keeping and provided support in receiving remittances and institute
Overseas Employment and Migration Act 2013, in advocating accessing the market. Without the reintegration programmes for them.
for allowing micro-finance institutions to be the last leg of knowledge of effective loan Subsequently, it mobilised other civil
remittance transfer, in bringing an end to the monopoly over management, starting a new venture society organizations and jointly
remittance transfer business by a mega company and also for could be risky. Secondly, those who appealed to the prime minister for
ratification of 1990 UN Convention on Migrants. We found want to work should be linked to the such support and wrote to the UN
good laws and policies do not automatically lead to change. So local labour market and there has to be Secretary General demanding his
we began working for mobilization of migrants at the serious engagement in skill attention to the plight of the migrants
grassroots to demand services from government institutions development. Thirdly, suitable in receiving countries. It also
and facilitating formation of Migrant’s Rights Protection instruments may be introduced for the conducted a real time policy research
Committees in the rural areas. Our team guided the migrants returnees interested in financial about the immediate and long-term
to take services from government institutions. Eventually in investments. Many returnees suffer needs of the returnee migrants and
the respective areas government institutions became more from trauma and require psychological published several policy briefs. So far,
RMMRU has created plenty of responsive to their needs. This is how RMMRU has been counselling and support. Experience of RMMRU organised ten webinars in its
success stories by supporting the supporting the labor migrants of Bangladesh. violence in the destination country series titled ‘Build Back Better: Covid
migrants and refugees over the inflicts mental harm on them. Hence, a 19 and Migration’ that came up with cities (Goal 11) and climate action (Goal 13).are also very
years. How has the organization We have heard of migrant workers sending a record successful need-based integration competition of recruiting agencies. Such competition hiked up concrete policy recommendations. An relevant for migration.
been supporting the migrant amount of money back to the country. This is of course should be taken into account to fulfill the migration cost at a phenomenal rate. After the onset of important achievement of RMMRU
workers? relieving and praise worthy. How is the government the needs of the different categories of COVID situation, the migrant workers were treated even more was through the intervention of the Over the years, how much has the scenario of
RMMRU has been advocating for the trying to make the best use of such a surge and what is migrants. dismally in the countries of destination. Their employers High Court it facilitated securing the immigration process of the migrant labor applicants
rights and dignity of labor migrants being done in favor of these hard working summarily terminated their contracts without compensating unconditional release of several progressed? How has RMMRU contributed to this
of Bangladesh since 1995 by countrymen? We are increasingly hearing them. People were taken to prisons and deported for minor hundred returnee labour migrants development?
engaging in research, policy There was a surge in the remittance flow but it appears to be reports of returnee Bangladeshi offences such as not abiding the lockdown provisions. So, all who were wrongfully detained by the It goes without saying that Bangladesh has made reasonable
advocacy,and grassroot mobilization. tapering off now. The government is surely acknowledging the migrant workers from the Gulf these in a way magnified the problems these migrant workers authorities following their return progress in this sector, framing national policies and laws,
When RMMRU started its journey, problems and issues that affect labor migrants. It extended a 2 States falling victim to wage theft. normally endured. from the Gulf states, Vietnam and ratifying international conventions and compact, and setting
there was no involvement of NGOs in percent incentive to remittances of migrants and it had an Why are Bangladeshi migrant Our recent study on 1160 returnees noted that on an average, Lebanon for “tarnishing the image up specialised institutions. So labor migration has been an
the labor migration issue and the impact. ProbashiKallyan Bank has loan programmes for workers increasingly facing this they lost Tk. 1,80,000, in the countries of destination as of” and “hatching conspiracy against important agenda of the government.
issue? What can be done to ensure
assumption that the labor migrants returnee migrants and is considering several programmes for our migrants get appropriately wages and other entitlements. Hence, it is incumbent on the the country”. By generating evidence Despite all these successes, the condition of labor migration is
are reasonably well-off and do not them. paid when they return home? government to ensure that the lost wages and other on repatriation and wage theft far from desirable. While a lot of work has been done on
require policy attention was However, we must bear in mind that the returnee migrants are The issue of wage theft was always entitlements of the workers are recovered. experiences RMMRU is also at the remittance transfer, we cannot claim our labour migrants’
pervasive. So, people did not pay there. The pandemic situation has Our government must take into consideration that the past forefront for demanding justice on rights are protected and that they are treated with dignity.
much heed to their needs. As this was exacerbated this long drawn problem. treatment of migrants in the destination countries was not behalf of the victims of wage theft at This has been a problem both at sending and destination
an unexplored sector, some of us were Both the countries of origin and the right. The workers were not given fair and respectful national and regional levels. ends. A big issue is that despite having reasonably decent
curious to know in detail. We were country of destination had generally treatment. Sending countries should negotiate from a policies, laws and ratification of international treaties we
appalled with our research results ignored the protection aspects of labor position of strength and impress upon destination countries Please tell us how the have been unable to enforce and implement those. It is high
that demonstrated migrant workers migrants. The former’s main interest that at the end of the day, the latter need labor migrants for contribution of migration can time that we acknowledge the reality. Above all, we must pay
were facing neglect and disrespect at was remittances. Therefore, protection the development of their countries and thus migrants rights help us in achieving the SDGs. heed to the felt needs of the migrants and ensure that they
every step of the migrant process. was not high on the agenda. The and dignity should be upheld. Migration is recognized as a major can voice their concerns.
With a band of energetic students of competition in the labor market among tool for alleviation of poverty and Over the last 28 years, RMMRU has been engaged in this
Dhaka University some of us various labor sending countries is an What are the challenges faced by RMMRU in the attainment of the SDGs. Remittances sector with research, policy, and grassroot mobilization. It
continued researching and preparing aggravating factor. Moreover there is immigration or repatriation process of the migrants play a critical role in migrant began as a collective initiative of socially conscious students
amidst the COVID-19 pandemic?
policy documents. Our agenda was to no coordination and understanding households’ health (Goal 3) and and faculty members of Dhaka University and a few from the
ensure labor migrant’ rights are among labor sending countries about It is true no country in the world was prepared for a situation education (Goal 4). The increased legal fraternity. We are proud of our collective achievements
protected. Consequently, we started the minimum wage and other like this. Being a dispensable lot in any crisis situation, short feminisation of international labour and do believe that together we can make further
organizing policy consultations, entitlements of migrant workers. And term labour migrants bore the brunt of the pandemic. As has a major bearing for the process of contributions in future for this marginalised group. We
seminars and the like. Our so, it has been the buyers’ market. labour migrants were being forcibly repatriated from various gender equality (Goal 5). Surely a lot envision along with generating new knowledge, we continue
collaboration with political leaders, They are the ones who dictate. Gulf states, RMMRU tried to capture their experiences and needs to be achieved to ensure decent to engage with migrants themselves to bring about policy
members of parliaments, NGOs, and Unfortunately for Bangladesh, it was highlight their plight through preparing a Situation Report in work (Goal 8) conditions of migrants. change. Not to mention, our firm commitment remains to
various influencers and the media even worse due to the unhealthy the first week of April, 2020 and organised a press conference Likewise other goals on sustainable uphold their rights and dignity.

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