Illegal migration of Bangladeshis to Europe through various Mediterranean routes saw an upsurge this year, raising concerns over the government measures to control it effectively.
Bangladesh’s efforts to send workers to five countries have suffered a blow as those nations adopted restrictive measures before and during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Faulty process, false promises
Star file photo
With a two-year job contract and dreams of a better life, Akhi Begum (not her real name) left for Saudi Arabia in mid-2019.
But the 27-year-old returned home in Munshiganj within three months, as the work conditions were nothing like what she had been promised.
An excessive workload for a 10-member family, along with a lack of livelihood support such as food and clothes, made the domestic worker soon flee her employer s house in Riyadh.
Saudi police later nabbed and imprisoned her for more than two weeks on charges of absconding before she was given an out-pass by the Bangladesh mission for deportation.