27 trafficked victims want to return from Vietnam at state cost

The 27 Bangladeshis trafficked recently to Vietnam want to return home at state cost.

The Brac Migration Programme contacted these trafficked victims who sought the government's help in returning home, said Shariful Hasan, head of the programme.

"The trafficked Bangladeshis informed us that they went to Vietnam through six recruiting agencies who took Tk4-4.5 lakh each from of them. Now, they want to get their money back from the agencies," added Shariful.

They went to Vietnam in January this year.

Earlier, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs learnt from its Hanoi mission that 27 Bangladeshi nationals were temporarily staying at a hotel provided by the Vietnam government.

Vietnam is not a country that offers many work opportunities for prospective foreign workers. However, traffickers tempt Bangladeshi workers by saying that they would be sent to developed countries such as Australia, New Zealand and rich parts of South East Asia, read a foreign ministry press release on Monday.

On July 2, 11 Bangladeshi nationals returned from Vietnam on a special flight which was jointly organised by the Bangladesh embassy in Hanoi and the Vietnam government.

These 27 people were also listed for the repatriation, but they refused to avail the flight, saying that the Bangladesh government would have to pay the airfare.

But the Bangladesh government does not have a provision to pay for the airfare of returning illegal workers. In all repatriation flights, it is the passengers themselves who pay for the fare rather than use taxpayers' money, the release stated.