Speakers at a virtual conference on Monday stressed the need for forming a policy for reintegration of returnee migrant workers in order to improve their livelihoods and psychosocial condition.
They also suggested forming necessary funds and providing skills-building trainings to help the returnees start economic activities successfully at home.
Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU) in collaboration with Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA) and PROKAS, British Council launched the two-day virtual conference, titled 'International Conference on Reintegration of Returnee Migrants affected by the Covid-19 Pandemic', on Monday.
RMMRU's founding chair Professor Tasneem Siddiqui and Executive Director Professor CR Abrar, and economist Professor Mustafizur Rahman moderated different sessions of the conference, while national and international migrant rights defenders and experts spoke.
Mustafizur Rahman said reintegration process started at the pre-departure stage of an outbound worker -so, proper pre-departure briefing was necessary for every worker.
Emphasising the need for returnee workers' database, he said without data it was not possible to take a proper plan for reintegration of migrant workers.
A holistic approach is needed to address the issue in this sector, Mr Rahman added.
Dr Kamal Uddin Ahmed, full-time member of the National Human Rights Commission, said workers' rights should also be ensured at job destination countries.
If workers get due benefits and rights there, their reintegration process will be eased at home, he opined.
Speaking on the occasion, Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmad said more than 400,000 workers had returned home being impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
The government is implementing loan projects and skill upgradation trainings for returnee workers, he said.
But it is not getting good responses from the workers, the minister told the conference.
Syed Saiful Haque, chair at WARBE Development Foundation, William Gois, regional coordinator of MFA, Sumaiya Islam, executive director of Bangladesh Nari Sramik Kendra-BNSK, Farooq Ahmed, secretary general at Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dhaka (MCCI), among others, attended the event.
