UNB, Dhaka :Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Engineer Khandker Mosharraf Hossain on Thursday said illegal immigration through sea routes – the so-called ‘boat people’ – spoils the overseas labour markets of Bangladesh.”We notice with deep concern that Bangladesh workers are trying to go abroad illegally, especially to Malaysia, through sea routes. Such illegal immigration creates various problems for legal Bangladeshi workers abroad,” he said addressing a discussion at the Bangbandhu International Conference Centre to mark the International Migration Day 2014.The minister said, Bangladesh is now on the verge of losing the Malaysian labour market for illegal immigration.He said, if Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) becomes sincere, it will be possible to intercept the clique of unscrupulous recruiting agencies.Mosharraf said, his ministry will sit in a parley with BAIRA authorities soon to identify the recruiting agencies “On the international migration day, our vow is to punish culprits involved in illegal migrations and bringing them to book,” the minister added.There are some 9 million or 90 lakh Bangladeshis now staying in 160 countries across the world.The Awami League government had been able to export a total of 2,451,093 (2.4 million, or 24 lakh) Bangladeshi workers to overseas markets in the five years from 2009 to 2013, which is much higher than 1,386,622 workers (1.3 million or 13 lakh) exported by BNP-Jamaat government from 2001 to 2006, Mosharraf claimed.He said, most Bangladeshi workers go to the Middle East countries. “But the rate of workers received by the Middle East countries is going down gradually. In this context, Bangladesh needs to explore new markets.”Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali also spoke on the occasion, while Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Secretary Khandaker Md Iftekhar Haider delivered the welcome speech.Addressing the function, migrant worker Anisur Rahman, who has been staying in Saudi Arabia for 22 years alleged that expatriates don’t get proper services from Bangladesh overseas missions, despite their significant contribution to the country’s GDP.Demanding the government provide incentives for remittances, he said, “Readymade garment exporters get incentive but we get nothing.”The Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister queried Bangladeshi expatriates in Qatar through a video conference, on the occasion of the International Migration Day.Stipend-cheques were handed over to some 200 children of expatriates for brilliant results in PSC, JSC, SSC and HSC examinations. The discussion was followed by a cultural soiree.
