A group of 18 stranded Bangladeshi migrants reached Dhaka on Friday from Lebanon, while many others need assistance to return home.
International Organization for Migration (IOM), in coordination with the governments of Bangladesh and Lebanon, facilitated their return, according to a press release, issued from IOM Dhaka office.
Prior to departure, the migrants underwent health checks, and provided with necessary assistances and were screened for underlying protection vulnerabilities by IOM in Lebanon.
They were also provided with post-arrival reception assistance in Dhaka. The returnees will also receive reintegration support.
A recent IOM survey of more than 1,000 migrants in Lebanon showed that nearly half of them wanted to return home.
With the economy in deep crisis and a political stalemate after the country’s government resigned following the devastating Beirut Port explosion a year ago, embassies have also seen a sharp rise in the number of migrants asking to return to their countries of origin.
The results of the IOM survey showed that many migrants have lost their jobs and livelihoods due to the impact of concurrent crises in Lebanon, and an increase in exploitative practices such as non-payment of wages, unfair dismissal, or breach of contracts by employers, have subjected migrants to greater hardship.
“Living in Lebanon has been extremely difficult as we are not able to meet basic needs, nor support our families back home,” said one of the returned migrants, adding that “migrants in Lebanon need support to survive and return to their country of origin. I am grateful to IOM for arranging my return to Bangladesh.”
“Many migrants are reaching out to IOM for help. They have lost their jobs. They are hungry; they cannot access medical care, and feel unsafe. Many are so desperate that they want to leave the country, but they do not have the means to do so,” said Mathieu Luciano, Head of IOM in Lebanon.
“There is a clear need to rapidly scale up IOM’s emergency programmes, including voluntary humanitarian return,” he added.
“The economic crisis coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the vulnerabilities of Bangladeshi migrants in Lebanon,” said Giorgi Gigauri, IOM Bangladesh’s Chief of Mission.
“We will continue to work with the relevant governments, donors, and partners whose efforts are highly appreciated to facilitate voluntary return and reintegration of migrants in vulnerable situations,” he added.