Reza Mahmud and Noman Mosharef :
Stranded expatriates trying their utmost to return to Saudi Arabia met new problems like ‘ticket refunding’ and paying of high price for iqama renewal. They are now in despair.
Almost all of the expatriates who come home during vacations have return tickets. But for Corona pandemic, most of them failed to return to Saudi Arabia in time.
Many of them lost their Iqama, (workpermit) tenure. However, when they managed to renew Iqama, contacting their Kofil (employers), A new problem strikes them and its ‘ticket refunding’.
Stranded expatriates said that their employers usually give them tickets during their visit to country in vacations. In some cases, they buy tickets from travel agencies.
In the pandemics, many employers gave back tickets to their foreign employees as they need. On the other hand them no more. some dishonest travel agencies have refunded tickets and embezzled the money.
The expatriates, who managed to renew their work permits, are now facing the suffering of ticket refunding when the new tickets are not available.
Shafayet Hossain, a Saudi expatriate in Dhaka said,”I have to return to Saudi Arabia March 17, but failed due to the Corona outbreak. Now, after facing untold sufferings, I managed to renew my Iqama and visa, but now as a new danger in that the ticket has been refunded by a ‘traitor’ agency Noakhali Travel and Cargo Agency . It is not a foreign one, but our countrymen, what can I do?” he expressed his helplessness.
Mostafa Kamal, who had been working in a mobile phone company in Saudi Arabia for two decades. He came in the country last March. His return flight was in June but he couldn’t fly for Covid-19 pandemic. His iqama’s validity expired on October 1. After spending three thousand real, he has renewal his iqama’s validity.
Cumilla’s Abdur Rahman has been working in a restaurant at Jeddah. He also came in the country before pandemic. Abdur Rahman has renewed his iqama’s validity after paying 2,000 real to his hotel owner.
Anwar Hossain, another Saudi expatriate, fell in trap also. He said his friend Abdul Halim, also expatriate of his same company managed to reissue tickets from Saudi Airlines, but his fate become agonized as his ticket has been refunded though he never applied for that.
Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA)’s former president Golam Mustafa said, it is very pathetic. The Bangladeshi migrant workers in Saudi Arabia are not burden for them. The Bangladeshi migrant workers are contributing in Saudi economy to expanding. He also urged the Saudi authority from the ground of humanity that it makes easier to return the migrant workers to their workplaces.
Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment initiated to enlist stranded expatriates who failed to return their job places in time for further assistances.
A press release issued on Tuesday, informed it saying government is trying to help all stranded expatriates willing to return their workplaces but failed for the Corona outbreak.
It said that the government has initiated efforts by inter ministerial coordination from Foreign Ministry and Expatriates Ministry to extend work permit and visa tenure and other ways.
To provide further assistances and for future plan in this regards, the Expatriate Welfare Ministry has initiated the enlisting efforts for all migrants people stranded now.
All of those stranded expatriates work for any countries are requested to register their name on mobile phone or computer following this link: www.old.bmet.gov.bd/BMET/returnMigrant.
No fee is required for registration and they can also search the following link for further requirement: www.bmet.gov.bd.
Meanwhile, the press release said that this registration is only to be used for information and it never meant to ensure their return and extend their work permit or visa.
