Bangladesh has called for ‘global solidarity and cooperation’ and ‘strong political will’ to address the challenges of the migrants affected by the pandemic.
The government also urged the migrant-host countries to be “humane and responsible” towards the migrants in the time of crisis due to COVID19.
Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN Rabab Fatima made the call while addressing a virtual high-level meeting of the Group of Friends of Migration entitled “Migration in the time of COVID 19: Migrant Health and Remittances” in New York.
Many Bangladeshis have become jobless in different countries due to the pandemic lockdown. The Middle-eastern countries have also sent back many of them home.
The ambassador underscored that the pandemic has exposed as well as exacerbated the vulnerabilities of the migrants as in many places they are denied of their rights, access to urgent health care services, and even jobs.
“The migrants are front line contributors even during the pandemic in their host countries and they must be included in the response and recovery packages and plans,” she said.
Expressing her concern that migrants are even being forced to return, she said for many developing countries managing the returnees is a “huge concern and the national efforts must be supported by the UN and other international development partners and stakeholders.”
Bangladesh is the co-convenor of the Group of Friends of Migration along with Ireland, Mexico and Benin.
Minister of International Development and Diaspora of Ireland Ciaran Cannon T.D. participated in the meeting which was also attended by a considerable number of delegations at the ambassadorial level both from the migrants- hosting as well as migrants-sending countries, Dr. Mahmoud Mohaieldin, UN Special Envoy for SDG Financing, high level representatives from the IFAD, WHO and other UN agencies.
They opined that the impacts of the pandemic on migration and remittance would affect the developing countries severely.
Referring to the World Bank projection about over 20 percent decline in remittances in the low and lower middle-income countries, the Bangladesh ambassador warned that it would have drastic consequences and would drive many remittance receiving households in the developing world to poverty.
Ambassador Fatima welcomed the Secretary General’s brief on “people on the move” highlighting the disproportionate impact of the COVID 19 on migrants.
She also commended the initiatives of some countries to remove barriers and facilitate migrants’ access to labour market, social protection, and basic services during the pandemic.