Staff Reporter :
On an average 15,500 expatriates are returning to Bangladesh from abroad every month in the wake of corona pandemic since April.
Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmed on Sunday urged to employ skilled manpower in the domestic projects who have already returned from foreign countries in this pandemic.
A press release from the ministry on Sunday said that on average 15,608 expatriates have been returned home after losing their job abroad after the virus outbreak.
It said that about 78,043 persons have returned from 26 countries since April 1 to August 22. About 4,732 female workers are also among those returnees.
According to the press release, highest 25,653 expatriates have returned from United Arab Emirates alone.
The second highest number of expatriates has returned from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from where about 15,389 people have returned home.
Many of those returnees earlier said that they have returned to spend their vacations but now most of them saying that they have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Among them, 7,909 people have returned from Maldives, 7,329 from Kuwait, 6,601 from Qatar, 3,884 from Oman and about 2,286 were returned from Malaysia.
Different expatriates from the Middle Eastern countries said that they have spent their days in jail before getting on board towards the home, due to their illegal staying there.
About 2,136 people returned from Iraq, 1,948 from Turkey, 1,382 from Singapore, 1026 from Jordan, 976 from Lebanon, 746 from Bahrain, 151 from Italy, 122 from Vietnam, 100 from South Korea and Russia, 80 from Srilanka, 55 from Nepal.
It shows also that 40 expatriates returned from Combodia, 39 from Myanmar, 36 from Mauritius, 20 from Thailand, 16 from Hongkong and eight persons have returned from Japan.
The press release said that most of the returnees have lost their job for the pandemic but almost all of them are hopeful that they can return to their jobs abroad once the pandemic is ended.
Besides, the Expatriates’ Welfare Minister requested all to employ the skilled, experienced and well trained expatriates in the country. He also urged all employers to appoint those skilled workers on a priority basis.
Imran Ahmed said it in a cheque distributing and reception programme to eight Japan returnee expatriates who achieved valuable training there.
Bureau of Manpower Education and Training (BMET) organized the programme in the ministry’s auditorium on the occasion of those expatriates returning.
The minister said that those technical interns will contribute to industrialization in the country, and they have wide opportunity to work at home and abroad as they completed three years important training in Japan.
