More than 55 percent of Bangladeshi workers go abroad through an illegal way by paying huge extra money to brokers, according a recent survey.
But the role of government agencies or institutions in sending the workers abroad is very frustrating, said the survey conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).
The authorities concerned have neither taken any initiative to strengthen their capacity of sending the workers abroad nor they have been found to be active in preventing brokers from charging extra money.
The survey also shows that 52.03 percent of workers paid their migration costs to brokers (migration facilitators), which is higher in rural areas (53.10 percent) compared to urban areas (48.25 percent.
Migration experts, however, noted that involvement of middlemen or brokers in the labour migration process leads to high expenditures for poor workers.
BRAC Programme Head (Migration and Youth Initiatives) Shariful Islam told Bangladesh Post that the majority of Bangladeshi workers go abroad through their friends and family members. “Middlemen operate discreetly, linking rural villages with opportunities abroad, largely due to limited options provided by Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOSEL).”
He further said that as visas pass through multiple intermediaries, the costs for applicants increase. Introducing a digitalised system to store workers’ data allowing foreign companies to directly select candidates will be more helpful. This approach would reduce the cost of migration, but BOSEL should expand its operations significantly.
Despite frequent efforts over phone, BOSEL officials could not be reached for their comments in this regard. Founding Chair Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU) Dr. Tasneem Siddiqui said, “Our people often prefer various European countries in search of a better life. Many go abroad through an illegal way, leading to significant expenses and often causing loss of life.”
He said, “Given our high demand for labour, it is crucial to integrate skill development into our education system. We have to ensure technical education so that our citizens do not miss out global opportunities. By addressing these issues, tendency to take illegal routes will also come down.”
According to the "Report on Socio-Economic and Demographic Survey 2023" published on June 5, workers heavily rely on brokers for migration costs across most divisions, except for Rangpur, where private institutions received the highest percentage of migration expenses (54.87 percent), Last year more than 1.3 million workers went abroad.
However, the government has taken initiative to regularise middlemen in order to control high migration costs. The survey said that
migrants from Sylhet division predominantly used brokers for international migration (58.53 percent), followed by Mymensingh division (57.44 percent). But Barishal (28.83 percent) and Khulna (45.38 percent) exhibit comparatively lower rates of reliance on brokers.
The survey defines moving abroad for a job or residency as international migration. International migration is defined as individuals leaving their home country and remaining in the destination country for a minimum of six months.
Costs inflated by brokers’ involvement
Migration experts warn that middlemen significantly inflate costs for migrant workers, who are often from lower-income backgrounds.
The survey reveals that 42.09 percent of the total number of workers paid their migration costs to private companies or agencies and only 3.09 percent to government institutions. Additionally, 2.8 percent of people migrated with the help of relatives or friends.
A migration expert pointed out that brokers often include friends and family, as people are hesitant to trust strangers with such significant amounts of money.
He highlights the fact that due to strong desire to work abroad, some migrants become vulnerable to exploitation by brokers who inflate costs.
"The high migration costs arise because money gets divided between various parties – brokers, agencies, and potentially even destination countries," he explained.
Why workers use brokers
The expert touched upon a psychological factor: "Limited education and a lack of confidence, particularly among rural workers, can lead to an inferiority complex. They might feel they lack the skills to manage the migration process and rely on brokers initially, hoping to 'figure it out later."
The survey reveals that most migrants (53.91%) attain an education level between class V and IX, with a majority relying on borrowing to cover migration costs. This is followed by SSC/Equivalent (18.96%) and HSC/Equivalent (10.75%).
The survey revealed that the highest percentage of migrants heading to Saudi Arabia (34.63%) spent between Tk 4 and Tk 5 lakh each. Similarly, a significant portion of migrants travelling to Malaysia (42.30%) and Bahrain (38.10%) spend money ranging from Tk 3 to 4 lakh. For those migrating to Italy, the majority (53.12%) faced costs exceeding Tk 5 lakh per person. and also the highest 31.21% to the UK have a migration cost of more than Tk 5 lakh for each.
Migration funding
The survey revealed that 58.24% of migrants rely on borrowing to cover their migration costs. This dependence is slightly higher in rural areas (60.07%) compared to urban areas (51.83%).
There is a notable gender disparity in borrowing, with a higher percentage (58.74%) of male migrants resorting to borrowing compared to females (37.98%).
Notably, Barishal division has the highest borrowing rate (68.51%), while Sylhet has the lowest (46.37%).
The survey also found that the vast majority of migrants (except those going to the UK and Canada) seek employment opportunities. This is particularly evident in countries like Maldives (98.05%), Malaysia (96.86%), and Saudi Arabia (94.57%), where the demand for Bangladeshi workers is high.
For female migrants, the survey highlights a trend toward domestic work, particularly in Kuwait (72.38%), Oman (55.22%), and Saudi Arabia (50.67%).
Brokers to be brought under legal framework
Middlemen in the overseas employment recruitment process are coming under a legal framework. The "Overseas Employment and Migrants (Amendment) Bill-2023," passed last September, aims to bring these facilitators under a legal framework through a registration system.
The migration expert raised concerns about the effectiveness of the registration system. He suggests involving multiple ministries, ideally at the union level or through UNO offices, to facilitate easier registration.
Additionally, he proposed a robust online system to prevent brokers from charging excessive amounts of money.
Migration experts emphasised the importance of empowering migrants through skills development to enable them to pursue overseas opportunities independently and avoid exploitation in low-skilled jobs.
