Illegal passage by sea

ACCORDING to a recent finding by the Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RAMRU), illegal journey by sea of job seekers is the biggest obstacle in the road to growth of remittance sector. But this misadventure by sea could have been prevented, had the existing law related to Overseas Employment and Migration Act 2013 been implemented. For, in the face of illegal journeys by sea, mainly towards Malaysia and Thailand, not even a single case was filed under the law introduced over a year ago.

On one hand, the rate of immigration has increased by a mere 1 percent this year, but compared with the rate in 2012 it is 32 percent less. On the other, Bangladesh hasn't succeeded in tapping any new labour market. So the need to deter unlawful passage to foreign lands must start in earnest.

Besides unlawful passage, another major drawback is the lack of record keeping finding out the number of expat workers and also the numbers of returnees. It's necessary to create separate databases for them. As regards expenses entailed in taking up foreign jobs, a Bangladeshi labourer pays seven times more than a labourer from any other country. The issue of overpayment should be addressed headlong.

Contribution of remittance in Bangladesh economy stands second after RMG exports so we must ensure that its rapid growth isn't blocked by reasons that are avoidable. We should be wholeheartedly caring about our labour markets abroad.