Brokers are the main bar in manpower export

As a result of the huge number of unskilled workers going abroad from Bangladesh through brokers, only the number of expatriates is increasing but remittances are not increasing according to labor and expectations.

Most of these unskilled workers come from the rural poor and lower middle class family. By tempting them in various ways, the middlemen are grabbing large sums of money. They sold the land and handed over all the life savings to the brokers. They can't earn the money that goes abroad even if they work hard to break bones abroad.

The standard of Bangladeshi workers is far below the international standards and if this situation cannot be changed, remittance flow will not increase even if millions of workers go abroad.

Most of the workers go abroad from Bangladesh mainly through private recruiting agencies or their nominated brokers. As brokers are at the grassroots level of the immigration process, emigrants rely heavily on them. Because of them, the cost of immigration continues to rise, not only in this country, but also in the destination country a strong tout class has developed.

Stakeholders feel that action needs to be taken against them through bilateral talks at the government level.

The fact that the manpower agencies do not have offices at the district level and the lion's share of those who want to go abroad is less educated makes it easier for their fraudulent touts. Brokers need to be legalized to bring transparency in the manpower export sector, or else they need to ensure that they do not play a role in this sector.

Due to the reliance of brokers, the reputation of the manpower export sector is being questioned in the country and abroad. In the process of manpower export, most of the recruitment is done through brokers and many people give money to touts without knowing the name of the recruiting agency.

Brokers usually make passports, through them medical tests are done, plane tickets are also collected. Due to broker reliance, it costs 4 to 5 times more for Bangladeshi workers to go abroad than for workers from other countries. Middlemen have become the last word in manpower export and they are also getting big traps abroad.

According to a study by the Bangladesh office of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a partner organization of the United Nations, the average migration expenditure of Bangladesh in the private sector abroad is over Tk. 3 lakh. This cost is four to five times higher than in India, the Philippines and Indonesia, and seven times higher than in East and West Africa.

According to the data, it takes an average of Tk. 27,000 per person to migrate to Kuwait in Sri Lanka and Tk. 1 lakh in India but in Bangladesh it takes more than Tk. two and a half lakh. Although the government-determined cost is a little more than Tk. 1 lakh. On the other hand, Bangladeshi immigrants earn an average of Tk. 15,000 to Tk. 30,000 per month in abroad and it does not cover the cost of emigration at all.

According to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), immigration costs for workers will not exceed 10 percent of their total annual income.

In other words, if someone earns Tk. 3 lakh per year as Tk. 25 thousand per month, his immigration expenses should be within Tk. 30 thousand. The government-determined cost of going to Kuwait is five times that. In fact, the cost is more than 10 times.

The maximum cost of government-determined immigration to Malaysia is Tk. 1 lakh 60 thousand but the cost of an immigrant in the private sector is Tk. three and a half to four lakh. The workers went to Malaysia through only 10 agencies. Despite having so few agencies, no measures have been taken to control the expenditure and no one was punished, for this manpower export was halted for a few years.

It is necessary to build skilled workers by judging the demand of the new market. Embassies need to provide experienced manpower in immigration. It is important to increase the quality, not the number of migrants, then remittances will increase automatically and it will be sustainable in the long run.

In addition, it will be difficult to reduce the cost of immigration if the visa trade cannot be stopped. It can be stopped most effectively if skilled workers increase. Usually a skilled worker visa cannot be bought with money.

According to research by the Refugee and Migration Movement Research Unit (RAMRU), which deals with immigration, 19 percent of people cannot afford to go abroad, the average financial loss is about 2 lakh. 32% of the migrants are facing various harassment including not getting job abroad and the remaining 49 percent are getting jobs.

The government wants to stop the brokers to stop these harassments but it is not possible to eliminate the brokers. Every step of immigration requires the help of a broker.

Therefore, by arranging their registration, the fees of the brokers can be fixed for each job. Those who are interested in immigration get confidence in the known brokers.

The government's directive to set up separate agency offices in different districts is also unrealistic. Instead, the agency's organization, Baira, could open offices in all districts. Employees of all agencies will be able to work there.

The crisis in the manpower market should be largely resolved if the two embassies or missions in the respective countries are mobilized to eradicate the tyranny of fraudulent brokers in the manpower export sector and to look into the problems and crises of the workers residing abroad.

People who want to go abroad in remote areas of the country are still falling into the clutches of touts and are counting several times more money than they need, many are losing everything.

On the other hand, one of the main complaints of the expatriate workers is that they do not get the help of Bangladesh Embassy when they need it. The main task of embassies or foreign missions is to see the advantages and disadvantages of the expatriates working in that country. If the officials are active, Bangladeshis abroad should not be in such a delicate situation regarding work, collection of dues and legal matters.

If the quality of service to the missions of Bangladesh is enhanced with more sincerity and efficiency and the directives of the government are properly implemented, the picture of manpower export sector may be different, we are looking forward to it.