How aspiring migrants are being taught to spot the trafficking trap

Al Amin Noyon grew up in a small village in Bangladesh, with a family that was fiercely protective. Even after finishing secondary school, he was rarely allowed to go anywhere alone. But Al Amin always dreamed of a job that would take him places.

During the 1998 flood, he saw a television camera for the first time. He followed a group of journalists for three miles, watching them work. He knew he wanted a job that would allow him to travel.

Years later, when Malaysia opened its job market to Bangladeshi workers, a promised starting salary of Tk40,000 seemed irresistible to Al Amin. His father objected, but after weeks of silent treatment, skipped meals and arguments, he finally gave in. 

Al Amin's father sold his land to pay for his son's passport and recruitment fees.

'We had been sold'

In Dhaka, during his mandatory health check, the recruitment agency owner's harshness first raised Al Amin's suspicion.

"Whose 'adom' are you all?" someone asked.

The remark rang a bell. Al Amin knew the term "adom pachar" — human trafficking.

Still, he trusted the agent and paid Tk1 lakh followed by another Tk20,000 to expedite his visa.

At the airport, he signed an English-language contract under candlelight. When he arrived in Malaysia, no one was there to receive Al Amin and six other men travelling with him. They were taken to a warehouse where 400 workers were already waiting.

Five days later, they were moved again. From a car window, Al Amin saw men exchanging money.

"We had been sold." 

For six months, he cleared the jungle under threat of beatings. Eventually, Al Amin threatened suicide and was taken back to the warehouse. He and 60 others later broke out through the windows and fled, eventually reaching the Bangladesh embassy. With government assistance, they were repatriated.

But returning home brought another ordeal.

"I was seen as a failure," he recalls.

In 2017, Al Amin joined BRAC's migration programme. Today, he leads its emergency support and reintegration programme for returnee migrants and has directly supported more than 34,000 people.

"Standing beside migrant workers is my duty," he says. "I deeply feel their suffering."

Students learn about safe migration and the risks of trafficking during a BRAC awareness session. Photo: Courtesy

From awareness to action

From the 1980s through the 1990s, many Bangladeshis began migrating abroad for work. At the time, a lack of information left ordinary people with little understanding of how the process worked. Those seeking to go abroad often did not know where to go, how to proceed or what the proper process was. 

As trafficking incidents recurred, BRAC, through its other programmes, began raising awareness in local communities about safe migration. In 2006, it launched a separate intervention, the BRAC Migration Programme.

"As we continued this work, we realised that awareness and advocacy alone would not be enough. We needed to develop a separate programme specifically focused on migration," says Shariful Hasan, associate director of the Migration Programme and Youth Platform at BRAC.

BRAC Migration's Combating Human Trafficking, People Smuggling and Cyber Scams project works in a coordinated approach to address problems related to human trafficking.

"We regularly see reports of people dying while attempting to travel abroad by sea, people being taken to Cambodia with promises of employment and then being trapped in scam centres, and women being trafficked abroad after being promised jobs, only to face exploitation. In other words, human trafficking and irregular migration have now become major problems for our people," Shariful says.

"They are told that they can cross the sea and reach Europe this way. But according to our research and experience, once they reach Libya, they are often detained and tortured. Their families may then be forced to pay Tk30 lakh or Tk40 lakh — sometimes under threats and coercion — to secure their release." Shariful Hasan, associate director, Migration Programme and Youth Platform, BRAC

When migration and trafficking become blurred

According to Shariful, one of the main reasons is that many people do not clearly understand the difference between migrating through a legal process and becoming a victim of trafficking.

"If someone is going abroad for employment, they must obtain a valid work visa, follow the required rules and procedures, and understand the details of their employment before leaving — including the job, employer, salary, workplace and employment contract," Shariful says.

From obtaining a passport to securing a visa, travelling by air and understanding the procedures after arriving abroad, people need to be informed about every step of the process.

"Brokers often tell people, 'We will send you abroad,' but in reality, they may take them from Dhaka to Chattogram and abandon them, or take them to a country such as Nepal and hold them there. People are simply given the assurance of going abroad without being properly informed about how they will travel or what process they will have to follow," says Shariful.
 

Religious and community leaders are also involved in the process of raising awareness among local people.

Different regions, different risks

Vulnerability to human trafficking could be reduced if people were more aware of trafficking risks, deceptive recruitment practices and irregular migration. This is where community-based awareness becomes crucial.

Shariful explains that migration patterns vary across regions.

In Cox's Bazar, there is a significant issue involving people travelling by sea. Bangladesh shares borders with India on three sides and Myanmar on another. Women and adolescents are also trafficked across borders.

"These people may not understand the dangers. They may believe that they can travel by sea to Malaysia and find work there. But there have been serious incidents involving deaths and mass graves along these routes."

A Bangladeshi mother may believe she is sending her son to Malaysia by sea so he can find work. She may not know that her son could die during the journey or become one of the victims buried in mass graves in the region.

BRAC therefore tries, in a structured and systematic way, to make communities aware of these dangers.

Another major trend involves people from Madaripur, Shariatpur, Cumilla and Sylhet who believe they can travel through Libya and eventually reach Europe.

"They are told that they can cross the sea and reach Europe this way. But according to our research and experience, once they reach Libya, they are often detained and tortured. Their families may then be forced to pay Tk30 lakh or Tk40 lakh — sometimes under threats and coercion — to secure their release."

Taking the message of safe migration to communities

BRAC takes these messages into schools and communities to help people understand the risks associated with unsafe migration and human trafficking.

"We go to these communities and provide information to young people. Even students in Classes 8 and 9 are reached with messages such as: 'If you are planning to go abroad, make sure you follow the proper and safe migration process.'"

For women, BRAC organises courtyard meetings and community discussions that provide a safe space to discuss these issues and share relevant information. Videos and other visual materials are used to make the messages more accessible and engaging.

Real-life stories and experiences of trafficking survivors are shared to help community members understand the risks and consequences of trafficking. At the same time, BRAC provides practical information on safe migration practices and the steps individuals should take to migrate safely.

"I knew I had to tell my story and I also knew there were many others who had their dreams shattered like mine. I wanted to create awareness about migration," says Al Amin.

Religious and community leaders are also involved in the process of raising awareness among local people.

"We also now engage mosque imams and Buddhist leaders, asking them to talk about safe migration during Friday sermons. People listen to religious leaders, especially during Friday prayers, so we try to use that platform to encourage people to migrate safely," says Shariful Hasan.

BRAC also uses social media and technology to raise awareness, as people are increasingly approached through social media platforms and WhatsApp with promises of jobs abroad.

"Young people are promised modelling opportunities in Mumbai, appearances in TikTok videos or opportunities to play cricket in India."

The objective is to create genuine behavioural change so that people become more cautious and make informed decisions.

Supporting survivors and working with the government

BRAC also works to develop models, generate evidence and strengthen the capacity of government institutions for effective interventions. Its work includes training law enforcement agencies, generating evidence, identifying gaps in the legal and judicial system and advocating for stronger mechanisms to prosecute trafficking cases.

At the same time, BRAC provides support to people who have already become victims of trafficking.

If someone contacts BRAC from Cambodia and says, "I have been trafficked and I am being held here," the organisation works with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the relevant embassy and the government to bring that person back to Bangladesh.

After they return, BRAC provides support so they can pursue legal action with law enforcement agencies if necessary. It also provides counselling because trafficking survivors may have experienced severe physical and psychological abuse.

BRAC supports survivors in rebuilding their lives and, where possible, helps them start small businesses or receive vocational training.

The organisation approaches this work through four areas: prevention, protection, prosecution and partnership.

"At BRAC, we have always believed that we should not continue doing the same work forever. We should develop models, generate learning, and ultimately encourage the government to take those approaches forward."

BRAC works closely with the government, provides training and capacity-building for police officers, generates evidence and contributes to discussions on how the human trafficking law should work.

The project also advocates for stronger mechanisms, including appropriate tribunals and justice systems at the district level. Wherever it identifies gaps, it engages closely with the government through policy advocacy.