Recently 57 Bangladeshi migrants were given harsh punishment, like prison sentences in the UAE for attempting peaceful protests. Now the decision to pardon them is a great relief. This announcement is a successful achievement for the chief adviser. Also, this resulted in a strong trade relationship with the United Arab Emirates. During the year of 2023 to 24 UAE sent a huge amount to Bangladesh, approximately $3.65 billion. This spending is the highest source of income for the workers.
However, the severity of the sentences and the lack of support from Bangladeshi officials before the chief adviser’s intervention reveal a concerning situation for migrants. Despite their crucial role in economic progress, they often face dangerous working conditions and lack understanding of their rights. Although they are praised in theory, in practice, they are frequently neglected and left to deal with difficult situations on their own.
The harsh reality is revealed when most of the migrant workers return home in body bags. Approximately 4,552 Bangladeshis died in Gulf countries last year. In order to hide the reality these deaths were connected to natural causes. Even though many rights groups were exploring the reality that poor working conditions and extreme heat was the major reason for these deaths.
In recent decades, more than 34,000 migrant workers have died overseas. However, the government did not assist their families with any financial help. Also, there is no clear data about how many female workers have faced sexual violence and torture. It was estimated that about 17 to 35% of women have faced tough situations.
While Abiron Begum was the only Bangladeshi woman to get justice when a Saudi court convicted her murderers, many others have been forgotten. As long as money flows in from remittances, it seems there’s been a quiet agreement to ignore these abuses.
Furthermore, the government failed to support the migrant workers. Instead of helping, they exploited them through corrupt labor syndicates. This was clear from the recent incidents in Malaysia. Here many people lost their savings without getting a source of income.
Bangladesh now has the highest recruitment costs in South Asia, mostly due to bribes and illegal fees. These dishonest practices not only hurt workers but also damage the economy by eroding trust with other countries and limiting job opportunities. For example, while 8,200 Bangladeshis traveled to the UAE each month in 2023, this number has dropped to 6,500 this year because employers are wary of workers who might not meet legal requirements.
The interim government faces a big challenge: stopping worker exploitation without reducing job opportunities. To fix this, they need to clean up the recruitment process by breaking up corrupt syndicates and allowing fair competition. It’s also important to offer legal support to migrants for past and future issues with recruiters.
Corruption and mismanagement are everywhere in the United Arab Emirates. Such as paying bribes for police certificates to dealing with high fees for medical tests and expensive travel tickets. There are also no reliable sources that give clear information to workers. In order to ease the workers, it is important to make offices where they get useful information without any trouble.
Recent problems in the UAE show that workers can’t easily organize or fight for their rights. It’s surprising that, despite their vulnerability, not much has been done to set up support systems for them. It is important to learn a lot from the Philippines, where consulates have resource centers and dedicated offices for migrant workers. Their approach to managing migration and protecting workers could be a good example for us to follow.