DS Sourav
Rezaul Karim, 27, a barber in the capital’s Azimpur area, went to Italy in search of a better future. He managed to go to the European country by paying all his savings to a local travel agency. But, unfortunately, he had to return home within six months for not having valid papers. “Brokers took all my hard-earned money but they did not make me informed about what papers I should take with me. If I had any prior knowledge on Europe, maybe I would not have faced the misfortune,” Rezaul said, adding “Now, that I have realized all the valid papers I can enter Europe legally without taking any risk. I regret my mistakes.”
Same goes with Siddikul Islam who was a grocer at Dhanmondi. He also fell in the trap of brokers and lost 10 lakh.
“Brokers assure of everything from job to accommodation, which are absolutely fake in reality. Now, I have known it was a trap,” said Siddikul. Like Rezaul and Siddikul, many Bangladeshi nationals’ voyages to developed countries in search of a better life culminate in untold miseries due to a lack of proper information and necessary guidance. Many are caught up in indescribable horrors after embarking on perilous journeys to Europe or other developed countries being misguided by a section of unscrupulous brokers.
Harrowing experience of entering Europe recounts Ahmed Ali, 29, a Keraniganj resident who graduated from a national university. He said, “It’s a deadly trap, brokers have shown us face of death. Before going it seems lucrative but it is no so. Because of not having any knowledge on migration from experts or relatives, migrants often fall in sorry situations.”
On Wednesday, 24 Bangladeshi migrants, who had been stranded in the Mediterranean off the Tunisian coast for 17 days following a boat capsize, returned home. With this, the number of total returnees in the incident now stands at 56. As many aspirant migrants go abroad through informal channels, the government does not know the exact figure of Bangladeshi workers currently working abroad. At the same time, nobody except the airport authority keeps any information about the ones coming back to Bangladesh at different times. As a result of not having proper information about the migrants, the government authorities concerned cannot take any necessary steps when the migrants fall in any trouble.
Earlier on May this year, the government took an initiative to collect information about the returning migrant workers. The International Organization of Migration (IOM) is funding two million dollar in this project. IOM Deputy Director and Chief of Bangladesh Mission Siron Demans said, “From time to time, many people from Bangladesh go abroad through irregular channels, which are very risky and costly. People who are poor and without any special technical skill or experience usually go to foreign countries through a broker often taking loans from local moneylenders on high interests.”
According to European Union (EU) Statistics, more than one lakh Bangladeshis illegally entered Europe in the time between 2008 and 2017. 1,7215 had applied for political asylum, of which 11,715 were canceled. Migrants use seven routes to enter Europe illegally. Of them the most popular is the Mediterranean route.
According to a local travel agency manager, “A person has to spend around Tk 10 to 14 lakh go to Europe by illegal means. The money is taken in advance and sometimes, torture is applied to extract the crossing fee. Everybody is aware of the cheating but nobody is taking action to stop the crime”. Imtiaz Ahmed, Professor of International Relation at Dhaka University, said, “The government alone can’t solve this problem.
Migrants are never a burden, wherever they go they contribute to the economy so concerted efforts should be made from all quarters to address the grave issue.” “Local NGOs and media have to work collaboratively to spread the right information that can make our youths aware about not ideating this kind of fake dream. At the same time, job opportunities should be created for our own people inside the country,” he suggested.
