Amdadul Haque
Millions of Bangladeshi people working in different foreign countries are at high risk of losing their jobs as coronavirus ravages jobs markets.
The coronavirus pandemic is set to deal a heavy blow to the country's overseas job market and the remittance flow as a large number of Bangladeshi migrants have already lost their jobs. Many migrant workers are being ill paid amid shutdowns enforced to stem the spread of the virus.
After different businesses were closed due to the shutdown, the documented workers are being provided with basic wages, but the undocumented ones are getting nothing at all. Working hours of many, including cleaning, grocery stores, hotel jobs have also been slashed.
On the other hand, thousands of Bangladeshi migrants who came home on holiday are in a fix as they stuck due to the lockdown.
Moreover, those who got work permit visas for several countries are not being able to join work abroad as the countries have already imposed travel bans amid the coronavirus outbreak.
If this situation continues it will cause a global recession, experts opined.
Talking to The Bangladesh Post from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, many Bangladeshi workers said they were staying at their houses as their workplaces were closed due to the shutdown.
One of the migrants, Iqbal Hussain, 40, said that the grocery store where he used to work at was still open in Jeddah, but his working hours were cut. "Now I hardly earn Tk 30,000, whereas my previous monthly salary was Tk 45,000," he added.
Expatriate Bangladeshis in Middle-Eastern countries are at risk of returning home due to the economic downturn.
In this situation, about 1 million Bangladeshi workers are feared to be deported from Middle East. The Bangladesh embassy in Saudi Arabia, informed the Foreign Ministry last month.
About 2 million Bangladeshi expatriates are currently under lockdown in Middle East during the coronavirus crisis. Of them, about four lakh expatriate Bangladeshis do not have appropriate papers to work.
Fuel oil prices in the Middle East have dropped to their lowest level since the deadly coronavirus epidemic. This has started a downturn in the economies of neighboring countries, including Saudi Arabia. These countries are thinking of keeping the wheel of their respective economies afloat by reducing the number of migrant workers.
According to source in the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment, not only Saudi Arabia, but also other Gulf countries including Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq and Bahrain are constantly telling Bangladesh to take back illegal workers.
In the meantime, Bangladeshis who have become illegal from some countries have been brought back. The UAE, the second-largest labor market for manpower exports, also wants to repatriate Bangladeshi illegal workers.
Akmol Mia from Qatar said the coronavirus outbreak has thrown thousands of migrants into uncertainty. "Those who are undocumented are facing more trouble as they have no job guarantee or earning."
Remittance from expatriates is one of the main pillars of the Bangladesh economy. About one crore Bangladeshi migrants sent home $18.35 billion in remittance last year alone. Most of the amount comes from countries like Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain.
However, the Bangladesh Embassy in Saudi Arabia, fears that this time the Saudi government will deport 5 to 10 lakh Bangladeshis.
Confirming the matter, a senior foreign ministry official said Saudi Arabia was pressuring Bangladesh to take back its citizens. They are asking to take illegal and undocumented Bangladeshis.
The situation may be worsened, he added.
According to multiple sources from Saudi Arabia, the country has a plan to bring 70 percent Saudi citizens in the entire Saudi labor market within 2030. To implement this, the Saudi government will gradually send migrant workers from all countries back to their home countries.
Meanwhile, the Saudi government has doubled the Iqama (work permit) fee. Jobs for Saudi women have been made compulsory in various shopping malls. As a result, citizens of various countries, including 1.1 million Egyptians, have already left Saudi Arabia. Citizens of more countries are in the process of leaving the country.
Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET) data shows around 60,000 Bangladeshis go abroad for jobs every month. So, if the coronavirus pandemic lingers, queues of those waiting to join overseas jobs will only grow bigger, said the experts.
International Labour Organization (ILO) warned that the continued sharp decline in working hours globally due to the COVID-19 outbreak means that 1.6 billion workers in the informal economy - that is nearly half of the global workforce - stand in immediate danger of having their livelihoods destroyed.
