Bangladeshi Migrant's Woes Continue
March 8, 2014
March 8, 2014
November 24, 2012
Bangladesh is pushing hard to send more migrant workers to Saudi Arabia as the Kingdom prepares for various mega projects, including the FIFA World Cup 2034. Saudi hosts the largest number of overseas Bangladeshis – three million – who constitute the single largest expatriate nationality in the country. Bangladesh continues to accept many of the Kingdom's conditions without critique, despite the financial burden it places on its citizens. Nevertheless, other labour sending countries are likely to deploy similar strategies to get a share of the opportunities that Saudi is likely to offer over the next decade.
Oman has paused the conversion of tourist and visit visas to work visas for all migrants and has stopped issuing new visas, of any type, to Bangladeshi nationals. The decision will take effect from 31 October 2023 and continue until further notice.
News that Saudi Arabia had joined the International Labour Organisation (ILO) governing body shocked many observers last week, drawing many comparisons to the Kingdom’s incongruous re-election to the UN Human Rights Council last year. How could a country that so visibly violates the rights of millions of migrant labourers be elected into a position of authority, in an institution intended to protect workers' rights?
Saudi Arabia has lifted a six-year ban on the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers. The move comes even as the Kingdom struggles to deal with tens of thousands of migrant workers stranded and starving, without pay or sustenance.