UN agencies concerned over stranded Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia
Bangladeshi migrant workers currently make up the largest number of migrant workers in Malaysia
Three international organisations have expressed concern over the Bangladeshi workers stranded in Malaysia.
The International Organization for Migration, the International Labour Organization, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime say they are ready to support meeting the immediate needs of those stranded, reports Free Malaysia Today.
This includes enhancing their access to justice and basic services, as well as longer term efforts to find rights-based and sustainable solutions to the situation, they said in a joint statement.
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"The three agencies stand ready to support the government of Malaysia in reviewing the current labour migration system, drawing on international standards and good practices, and supporting constructive policy dialogue to develop a transparent and efficient labour migration process," the statement said.
It said Bangladeshi migrant workers currently make up the largest number of migrant workers in Malaysia.
Since the second quarter of 2023, there has been an increasing number of reports of workers who were not provided jobs upon arrival in the country, the agencies said.
"Instead, there have been reports of employers and related recruitment agents placing them in often very crowded hostels, apartments, or even warehouses, with unsanitary facilities, minimal access to food, limited communications with the outside world, and limited healthcare [or lack thereof], while confiscating their passports and other documentation," the statement added.
