Bangladesh: Rethinking labour migration governance for a fairer future

As we marked the International Migrants' Day, we could not but recognize the invaluable contributions of millions of Bangladeshi migrant workers who are not only shaping economies abroad but also driving development at home. However, their journey remains fraught with challenges that demand systemic reforms.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) earlier convened a dialogue to chart the way forward on labour migration reforms required to make working abroad fairer for Bangladeshi workers. The social partners - policymakers, employers' representatives, CSOs and experts convened with a shared understanding that while Bangladesh has laws, policies, and institutional frameworks in place to safeguard migrant workers, systemic gaps persist, compromising workers' welfare and protection.

Participants in the dialogue highlighted critical challenges across the labour migration cycle, starting with the excessive cost of migration borne by migrating workers from Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics' 2020 Cost of Migration Survey revealed that it takes at least 17 months for Bangladeshi migrant workers to recover the money they spend to secure jobs abroad. Factors such as visa trading, exploitative recruitment practices, and over-dependence on intermediaries as well as many hidden costs have distorted the market pushing costs remarkably high. Added to this are non-transparent recruitment processes, including syndication and vested interests, which persist despite bilateral labour migration instruments aimed at promoting fair recruitment in destination countries.

There has also been an unprecedented increase in recruiting agencies, which without stronger oversight and due diligence in the recruitment process, which together with existence of unregulated sub-agents exacerbate worker exploitation further eroding confidence in the recruitment process for jobs abroad. Without strict accountability measures and reform, this issue will continue to undermine workers' protection and welfare.

For women migrant workers the situation is particularly dire as they often find themselves in less stable employment, typically low-skilled, low-paying informal jobs with limited labour rights. Their work is often terminated without notice and are returned to Bangladesh abruptly. The absence of targeted policies and labour market strategies to safeguard their welfare worsens their struggles.

Another challenge lies in the governance of remittances and a lack of confidence in the formal banking system, which are driving migrant workers to insecure and expensive informal channels, reflecting a broader crisis of trust as evidenced by the recorded slow growth in remittances since 2023.

Labour Reform Commission

The ongoing reforms in the country, notably the Labour Reform Commission, offer a unique opportunity to implement pragmatic reforms in the governance of labour migration and re-integration in a number of ways. There is need to establish accountability mechanisms to eliminate visa trading and monopolistic practices that push the cost of migration sky-high. Transparent recruitment processes must be enforced, and private sector actors must play a stronger role under strict monitoring by the government.

Governance of labour migration could be strengthened by tapping into digital solutions to create integrated labour registries, to ensure data-driven decision-making. Connecting BMET cards with immigration databases is a vital first step toward accountability and transparency.

The Government could also focus on skills and productivity by aligning technical training with global labour market demands. Public-private partnerships can improve quality, while competency-based training with a focus on soft skills can upskill migrant workers for higher value employment opportunities. Bangladesh can also draw lessons from Indonesia and the Philippines to tailor social protection schemes for migrant workers.

Furthermore, institutional reforms with clear mandates for ministries and departments are essential for seamless service delivery at every stage. Likewise, financial governance of migrant welfare funds delivered through the Wage Earners' Welfare Board and Probashi Kalyan Bank, must be transparent, with stronger enforcement of laws and anti-corruption measures.

Above all, all reforms must be gender-responsive to guarantee the safety and empowerment of women migrant workers. Time-bound, targeted interventions should be put in place to increase their participation in formal and safer migration channels.

The discussions reaffirmed that the challenges need a whole-of-Government and a whole-of-society commitment. With over 1.3 million jobs created annually through migration, Bangladesh and her partners cannot afford to neglect the sacrifices and contributions of migrant workers. They should honour the contributions of migrant workers and respect their rights by putting in place governance reforms in the sector to ensure migrant workers are protected and their rights as workers are upheld.

We must all commit to reforms that make migration safer, fairer, and more dignified to reflect workers' aspirations by safeguarding their rights to builds a stronger foundation for sustainable economic development.

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