Mohammad Badrul Ahsan :
A section of agency owners in connivance with the government officials are allegedly charging much higher migration cost from Saudi-bound Bangladeshi workers than the government-fixed rate.
According to sources and job seekers, Aspirant job seekers are now forced to pay around Tk 600,000 to Tk 800,000 each to secure job in the Arab country.
Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment (MEWOE) fixed the migration cost at Tk 165,000 including air fare and passport and welfare fees for a worker intending to move to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) last month.
The migration cost was fixed after the Saudi government lifted its ban on manpower recruitment from Bangladesh.
But job seekers are hardly benefiting from the move as manpower recruiters are not charging them the fees as directed by the government.
Talking to The New Nation, a good number of Saudi-bound job seekers said they had spent nearly Tk 750,000 to Tk 800,000 as migration cost including for visa, air fare, recruiting agency service charge and others like medical and manpower clearances.
They, however, said they knew very well about the government-fixed rate but were left with no other option than paying the fees charged by the agents to avail job aboard.
Few of them were of the opinion that it will be of no use to lodge a complaint with the authorities as the government was not to give them visa; rather such a move might cause them lose the opportunity to go abroad with job.
“So far I have spent more than Tk 650,000,” said Syedur Rahman Shajib, an overseas job seeker.
He said the total amount of his migration cost will stand at Tk 700,000 to Tk 800,000 including recruiting agency fee, air fare and other expenses.
“There is no other option as almost all workers are seeking migration to Saudi Arabia even by paying such a big amount of money,” he said.
“I am aware of the charge fixed by the government but don’t know about any recruiting agency who are following the rule,” he said.
Azizur Rahman, another job seeker, said he also spent more than Tk 700,000 to go to the Middle East country. He obtained visa by paying a local recruiting agency Tk 500,000, besides spending nearly Tk 250,000 for visa process, medical and manpower clearances and air ticket.
Apart from paying high migration cost, the job seekers are undergoing immense suffering in the migration process as the departments concerned are not giving them smooth services, the alleged.
“I am forced to spend money in every step to get service,” said Mohammad Gilman, a Saudi Arabia job aspirant.
People hardly get any services in time without paying bribe, he alleged.
“Even I was forced to give money to get a token for medical checkup. I also had to spend Tk 11,500 for police verification document.”
When contacted, Abdur Rauf, joint secretary of the MEWOE, said there is no reason for charging extra fees from Saudi-bound workers as visa is now easily available following withdrawal of the ban.
He also said the recruiting agencies who are taking extra fees are involved in unethical practices and if anyone lodges complaint necessary action will be taken against them.
The authorities fixed the migration cost following discussion with all stakeholders, including Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA), he noted.
“We have incorporated the necessary expenses such as air fare, passport and welfare fees into the migration cost. So why would they need extra money,” he wondered.
Ruhul Amin, secretary general of BAIRA, said the association members are not involved in the malpractice as they warned the members against extracting extra money from the intending migrants.
A section of recruiters who are not members of the association are involved in the illegal practice, he claimed. Presently, Saudi visa is available so the rate of visa will simply come down, he added.
After a six-year break, the KSA has reopened its job market for Bangladeshi workers.
A section of agency owners in connivance with the government officials are allegedly charging much higher migration cost from Saudi-bound Bangladeshi workers than the government-fixed rate.
According to sources and job seekers, Aspirant job seekers are now forced to pay around Tk 600,000 to Tk 800,000 each to secure job in the Arab country.
Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment (MEWOE) fixed the migration cost at Tk 165,000 including air fare and passport and welfare fees for a worker intending to move to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) last month.
The migration cost was fixed after the Saudi government lifted its ban on manpower recruitment from Bangladesh.
But job seekers are hardly benefiting from the move as manpower recruiters are not charging them the fees as directed by the government.
Talking to The New Nation, a good number of Saudi-bound job seekers said they had spent nearly Tk 750,000 to Tk 800,000 as migration cost including for visa, air fare, recruiting agency service charge and others like medical and manpower clearances.
They, however, said they knew very well about the government-fixed rate but were left with no other option than paying the fees charged by the agents to avail job aboard.
Few of them were of the opinion that it will be of no use to lodge a complaint with the authorities as the government was not to give them visa; rather such a move might cause them lose the opportunity to go abroad with job.
“So far I have spent more than Tk 650,000,” said Syedur Rahman Shajib, an overseas job seeker.
He said the total amount of his migration cost will stand at Tk 700,000 to Tk 800,000 including recruiting agency fee, air fare and other expenses.
“There is no other option as almost all workers are seeking migration to Saudi Arabia even by paying such a big amount of money,” he said.
“I am aware of the charge fixed by the government but don’t know about any recruiting agency who are following the rule,” he said.
Azizur Rahman, another job seeker, said he also spent more than Tk 700,000 to go to the Middle East country. He obtained visa by paying a local recruiting agency Tk 500,000, besides spending nearly Tk 250,000 for visa process, medical and manpower clearances and air ticket.
Apart from paying high migration cost, the job seekers are undergoing immense suffering in the migration process as the departments concerned are not giving them smooth services, the alleged.
“I am forced to spend money in every step to get service,” said Mohammad Gilman, a Saudi Arabia job aspirant.
People hardly get any services in time without paying bribe, he alleged.
“Even I was forced to give money to get a token for medical checkup. I also had to spend Tk 11,500 for police verification document.”
When contacted, Abdur Rauf, joint secretary of the MEWOE, said there is no reason for charging extra fees from Saudi-bound workers as visa is now easily available following withdrawal of the ban.
He also said the recruiting agencies who are taking extra fees are involved in unethical practices and if anyone lodges complaint necessary action will be taken against them.
The authorities fixed the migration cost following discussion with all stakeholders, including Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA), he noted.
“We have incorporated the necessary expenses such as air fare, passport and welfare fees into the migration cost. So why would they need extra money,” he wondered.
Ruhul Amin, secretary general of BAIRA, said the association members are not involved in the malpractice as they warned the members against extracting extra money from the intending migrants.
A section of recruiters who are not members of the association are involved in the illegal practice, he claimed. Presently, Saudi visa is available so the rate of visa will simply come down, he added.
After a six-year break, the KSA has reopened its job market for Bangladeshi workers.
