MIGRANT Bangladeshi workers overseas are often reported to have run into problems, mostly because of offences such as overstaying visas, lacking valid documents and misusing permits. In the latest such incident, Malaysian immigration authorities, as 抖阴精品 reported on September 4, quoting the Malaysian national news agency Bernama, detained 770 migrant workers in the Bukit Bintang area of Kuala Lumpur on charges of similar offences in a special operation in the evening on September 2. A Malaysian immigration enforcement officer is reported to have said that the special operation was conducted on complaints by local people that the area had become a hub of illegal activities involving foreigners. The Malaysian authorities have also busted an illegal gambling joint and arrested eight foreigners. The detained include 377 Bangladeshis and this is where the problem lies as the recurrence of such incidents may jeopardise overseas jobs for Bangladeshis, not only in Malaysia but also elsewhere. But the case of migration of Bangladeshis for jobs in Malaysia has all been fraught with problems that the government should especially deal with.
Malaysia suspended migration from Bangladesh in September 2018 because of irregularities and reopened the market to Bangladesh after three years and a half in August 2022 under a syndicated agreement. Since then until February 2024, a little less than half a million Bangladeshis could go to Malaysia, which remained the second preferred destination for migrant workers after Saudi Arabia in 2023. Labour migration to Malaysia ran into trouble after January 2024, centring on Malaysia鈥檚 suspension of the issuance of electronic visas and the number of workers going to Malaysia on jobs started coming down. In such a situation, the latest event in which Malaysian authorities detained Bangladeshi workers, that too on charge of being involved in illegal activities, could run the risk of jeopardising the Malaysia job market for Bangladeshis. This is worrying as any disruption in the process would not only deal a blow to Bangladesh鈥檚 earning from remittances by migrant workers but also could put prospective migrant workers. Malaysia shut its door to migrant workers from Bangladesh three times in a decade and a half amidst allegations of irregularities. The Bangladesh authorities should, therefore, lift a finger high enough to mend some issues both at home and with the Malaysian authorities.
Whilst the government should take up the issue with Malaysian authorities and do what it can to save the migrant workers keeping to the due process of the law, the government should also hold training for migrant workers in issues of laws, culture and customs of the destination countries so that they do not run into trouble once they land on overseas jobs. The Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies should also play its part in making labour migration safe.
