Migrant workers neglected despite record remittance: RMMRU
State Investment for migration sector is ‘alarmingly low’ at 0.08% of budget, it says
Despite Bangladesh receiving a record amount of remittances, state investment and budget allocation for migrant workers remain alarmingly low, according to migration expert Tasneem Siddiqui, acting executive director of the Refugee and Migratory Movement Research Unit (RMMRU).
Presenting the RMMRU report titled "The Dynamics of Labour Migration 2025 from Bangladesh: Achievements and Challenges" at the National Press Club yesterday, Siddiqui stated that Bangladesh received $32.82 billion in remittances from January to December 2025, which is the highest ever and about 22% higher than the previous year.
"Yet, only 0.08% of the total national budget is allocated to the migration sector. This is not only unfortunate, but it is also shameful," she added.
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Siddiqui noted that for years, researchers and civil society organisations have been demanding the migration budget be increased to at least 1% of the national budget – a recommendation also mentioned in the government's White Paper – but it has not been implemented.
Worryingly, the RMMRU report shows state investment is declining as remittance earnings rise; the allocation for the expatriates' welfare and employment ministry was reduced from around Tk1,200 crore in the previous fiscal year to about Tk800 crore in the current year.
Calling the budget cut an example of a lack of state priority, Siddiqui said, "A child who does not cry is not given milk. The same is happening with migrant workers – the greater their contribution, the less attention they receive from the state."
Skills crisis and lack of priority
Siddiqui called the budget cut an example of a lack of state priority, arguing that the budget shortage makes meaningful structural reforms in skills development impossible. Government training centres are currently able to train less than one-third of their capacity due to the lack of modern equipment and trainers, she said.
"While destination countries require skills such as central air conditioning and advanced technical expertise, we are still training workers on outdated ceiling or split air-conditioning systems," she lamented. RMMRU data shows that around 70% of Bangladeshi migrant workers are unskilled or semi-skilled, while only about 4 percent are highly skilled or professionals.
'Migrant workers seen as numbers, not as human beings'
At the event, human rights activist and photographer Shahidul Alam echoed these concerns, stating that the state and society view migrant workers merely as numbers rather than as human beings.
"We take pride in remittance, but there is no real investment or dignified management for the people whose sweat and blood generate this money," he said.
Shahidul highlighted the state's failure to reciprocate migrants' contributions, adding, "In business terms, this is called return on investment. But here, there is no investment at all – yet the returns keep coming, and we keep consuming them."
He also held state institutions responsible for migrants' suffering, citing corruption in many embassies where the front door is closed to ordinary people, but brokers enter through the back door for transactions.
Alarming decline in female migration
While Bangladesh sent 11.30 lakh workers abroad last year, an increase of about 12% from 2024, the longer-term trend for female migration is concerning.
A total of 62,317 female workers migrated last year, accounting for about 5.5% of the total. However, between 2016 and 2019, more than 1 lakh women migrated annually. The decline since 2023 is attributed to uncertainty about decent working conditions, violence against women in domestic work, and overwhelmingly negative media coverage.
Calling the decline alarming, Siddiqui said the issue requires in-depth research and targeted policy interventions.
According to the RMMRU report, uncertainty about decent working conditions in destination countries and violence against women in domestic work are discouraging female migration.
The report also notes that over the past decade, overwhelmingly negative media coverage of female migration, coupled with the neglect of positive stories, has played a significant role.
Airport harassment easing
On a positive note, Siddiqui said harassment of migrant workers at airports has declined compared to previous years, although challenges persist.
"The level of harassment we used to hear about has reduced to some extent," she said.
