The conventional thoughts on migration, manpower export and remittances need to be updated in view of some new dynamics the three intertwined issues have been caught up in. Migration is triggered by economic compulsion of seeking work in a country having jobs to offer in real or potential terms.
That some of it can be 'illegal' has had a de facto recognition of the receiving countries. This is borne out by their periodic exercises to legitimise or regularise the status of the 'fugitives'. So, there is a latent demand for even unskilled or semi-skilled labour, which expresses itself from time to time when issues of accommodating extra manpower crops up. In other words, it goes to highlight the essentially two-way traffic that migration means between a country of origin and that at the receiving end in terms of deriving mutual benefits.
This in turn requires a soft touch approach to migrants, regardless of how they land in a country, aiming to be wage earners. More so, because many of them had slid the slippery slope falling into the trapdoor of mercenary agents astride both countries. They retain control over the victims by perpetuating their uncertain status to endlessly exploit them.
Thus a certain deviation from proper manpower export drill cannot be wished away; instead it is a reality that will have to be tackled creatively but sternly, with collective safeguards. These should be mounted in concert by countries of origin (their embassies in particular), those being called upon to host migrants, the IOM and the ILO.
A fabric of justice and fair play ought to be built around the whole issue of wage earning diasporas and the remittances, both incoming and outgoing. Take the example of mid- or upper-mid level management or technical manpower from India, Sri Lanka and a few other regional countries under the employ of certain sectors of our economy. Outbound remittances from them have been constantly rising. If we think in regional or globalised terms, we feel the need for reciprocal treatment to our workers wherever they are. Besides, our experts may find work in neighbouring countries for a change.
Nevertheless, it is imperative that we earnestly built pools of management and technical cadres of our own if our inward remittances are not to be eroded by outbound remittances. Although, the expatriate workers are filling in some voids to our economy, it is a reflection of a dependency factor that may not bode well in the long term for a country on the verge of being a middle income economy.
If necessary, we can take the cue from China in regard to its graduating from one technological state to another. Of course, we may delve into South Korea's flagship technological strategy early in its modern history that gave it a strong and sustainable foundation in industrialisation.
According to reports, the labour wings of Bangladesh embassies in the Middle East countries are failing to provide the services required by our expatriated workers. In many cases the, latter are said to avoid going to embassies. ILO in a research titled, "The home coming: profiling the returning migrant workers of Bangladesh", revealed that 74.5 per cent of Bangladeshi workers with problems do not seek assistance from Bangladesh embassies.
People concerned with our expatriate workers inform that there are 29 labour wings to Bangladesh missions abroad. And, they are short-handed being unable to provide required services to our workers. It is important to note that most of the workers had borrowed money to get work. To repay the loans they will have spent most of the visa period.
Besides, the owners' deceitful behaviour and irregular payments run concurrently with bouts of illness, torture and hostile living conditions to top it all.
Even the UNHCR has taken note of inadequate consular services and consequent lack of mitigation of labour rights violation, the other name for human rights violation.