Thirty-seven Bangladeshis were among 600 migrants rescued in Mexico after they were crammed into two tractor-trailers. Mexico’s National Migration Institute said the illegal migrants were found in the southeastern state of Veracruz. A section of Bangladeshis every year are desperately seeking migration opportunities in Europe and America due to lack of employment, as well as social and economic insecurity plus pessimistic views about Bangladesh’s future. They believe migration abroad ensures employment and better life. Many dream of earning huge sums of money to change the fortunes of their families. Remittance accounts for Bangladesh’s second highest foreign exchange income. More than 10 million Bangladeshi expatriates are sending remittances home on a regular basis. Last year, they sent $15.54 billion to Bangladesh. So, migrant Bangladeshis play a major role in our economy. We need to look into the process of their travelling abroad. The routes to travel abroad are not smooth. Some routes are very dangerous. Each year many Bangladeshis drown while crossing the Mediterranean to reach Europe from Libya. The fortune-seekers who have managed to reach Europe are now illegal in those countries. More than 100,000 Bangladeshis are living in several European countries illegally. Their life there is not pleasant and they cannot earn enough as expected. Those who recruit these illegal migrants give them less wages. The illegal migrants live under constant fear of police harassment and many of them are serving jail terms. Unless the government succeeds to ensure safe and sustainable migration or develops enough employment opportunities, risky moves for migration will not stop. So, we must say, the adoption of a comprehensive migration strategy is critical.
