Migrant returnees more eligible for employment: Expat minister
He said all stakeholders must work together to ensure decent, disciplined, regular and responsible migration of workers
Migrant returnees are more eligible to get priority for employment both at home and abroad because of their experience, Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmad said on Sunday.
Chairing the second meeting of the National Labour Migration Forum, he said, "All stakeholders will have to work together to ensure decent, disciplined, regular and responsible migration of workers."
In the virtual meeting organised by his ministry, Imran highlighted different government initiatives – including Tk700 crore loan assistance for the migrant returnees amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Participants at the meeting decided to work together with all stakeholders of labour migration led by the expatriates' welfare ministry, reads a press release.
Khadiza Begum, additional secretary of the ministry, told The Business Standard that the forum, which is comprised of all stakeholders working on migration, sits twice a year.
"In the meeting, we exchanged our views on safe labour migration. We have informed the stakeholders that the ministry has decided to select some health centres that will provide services to migrant workers during the pandemic," she added.
Khadiza said, "We sought the expression of interest letter and 30 organisations have applied for the purpose. The final selection will take place later."
Dr Ahmed Munirus Saleheen, secretary to the ministry, Benjir Ahmed, president of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies, and representatives of different national and international organisations and UN-agencies also spoke at the meeting.
According to the Brac Migration Programme, around 7 lakh Bangladeshis have returned home from different countries between January and March this year.
Around 1.5-2 lakh of them are migrant workers.
After a nationwide shutdown started in late March, more than 30,000 workers – who had lost their jobs mostly in different Middle Eastern countries – came back home through special flights till July 17 this year.
