IOM: 70% Bangladeshi returnee migrants battle to find jobs

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Returnee migrants have observed challenges including financial problems, accumulating debt, and health-related issues

Nearly 70% of surveyed migrants who returned to Bangladesh between February and June have remained unemployed, according to a study covering 12 districts.

The findings were presented in a written report titled: “Rapid Assessment of Needs and Vulnerabilities of Internal and International Return Migrants in Bangladesh,” the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a news release issued on Wednesday.

In line with the report, returnee migrants experienced reintegration challenges which included difficulties in securing employment, financial problems such as for example insufficient income and accumulating debt, and health-related issues.

Unplanned, large-scale returns of unemployed migrants affect remittance-dependent communities in the united states where each migrant worker supports three members of his/her household on average.

The report premiered in coordination with the Bangladesh government. It listed findings from interviews with 2,765 persons - 1,486 international returnee migrants and 1,279 internal return migrants.

The survey was conducted in May and July in 12 high migration-prone districts, seven of which share border with India, the IOM press release said.

Migrant personnel are particularly vulnerable to the impact of the Covid-19 crisis. Since March, thousands of international migrant personnel were forced to return to home because of limited usage of income-generating activities, social services, healthcare systems and social support networks in the countries where they were working.

Sixty-four percent of international migrants indicated that following a Covid-19 outbreak, they struggled to gain access to information and health services in the countries where they were working in.

A complete of 29% of respondents indicated that they had returned to Bangladesh because these were asked to leave the country these were in, and 23% reported that these were concerned about Covid-19 and wanted to return to their own families.

Moreover, 26% reported that they had returned because their families had asked them to, and nine percent returned because these were told that the borders were likely to be closed plus they were worried that they might be left stranded.

During the interviews, 55% of the respondents who had returned from abroad had accumulated unpaid debt.

The respondents owed debt to friends and family (55%) also to micro-finance institutions (MFIs), Self Help Groups and NGOs (44 percent) and moneylenders (15%).

In total, 86% of debt owed to friends and family was charged at zero interest, while over 65% of debt owed to MFIs, NGOs and private banks carried mortgage loan of between 10% to 15%, and the interest on 62% of debt owed to money lenders was charged between 50% to 150%.

Migration-centered approaches essential

Giorgi Gigauri, Chief of Mission of IOM in Bangladesh, said, “Migrant personnel are a few of the most vulnerable groups influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic. Bangladeshi migrant personnel and their remittance-dependent communities are adversely influenced by the unprecedented global restrictions on mobility and the COVID-19-induced recession.”

“IOM, as coordinator of the Bangladesh UN Network on Migration, is committed to contributing to your body of evidence on migration in/from Bangladesh. This research will support government-led efforts to build up evidence-based ways of ensure sustainable reintegration for returning migrants,” he said.

Through the interviews, respondents were asked about their future aspirations.

Almost 75% of respondents reported that they would like to re-migrate and 97% of these migrants would tend to get back to the same country where they were working prior to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Meanwhile, 60% of respondents were enthusiastic about upgrading their skill set to secure better paid jobs.

On August 10, IOM hosted a virtual briefing on the findings of the Report that was attended by a range of stakeholders including UN Agencies, I/NGOs, LNGOs and academic organizations from Bangladesh and from the spot.

The “Rapid Assessment Needs and Vulnerabilities of Internal and International Return Migrants in Bangladesh” was conducted beneath the EU-funded project ‘Regional Evidence for Migration Analysis and Policy (REMAP)’.

 “In this pandemic, research will support the development of responsive, migrant-centered approaches needed for the support and protection of vulnerable migrants. We should work together to reintegrate migrants to their communities,” Gigauri said. 
Source: https://www.dhakatribune.com

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