<div><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>UN expert said on Tuesday (Jan 31), Bangladesh must step up efforts to strengthen regulation of the migrant recruitment system to protect migrant workers against exploitation and abuses.&nbsp;</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>“Recruitment currently imposes exorbitant high costs on many migrants, creating debt bondage, much of which are imposed by “middlemen” who are used to recruit workers,” said Felipe González Morales, UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, in a statement at the end of a 10-day official visit to Bangladesh.</div><div><br></div><div>He said “I was informed of the de facto high migration costs that are often borne by aspirant migrant workers who are desperate to go abroad and work.</div><div><br></div><div>Intermediaries/middlemen exploit these situations by imposing fees as high as 3,000 USD for a migrant to get access to work abroad, he said adding that many of these aspirant workers have to sell their properties or take on loans that become excessive, leading to debt bondage.</div><div><br></div><div>“Once they arrive at their country of destination, most of the money they try and earn often has to be used to service these loans resulting in migrant workers being left with little to support themselves and their families.”</div><div><br></div><div>He said the exploitation of aspirant migrant workers begins even before they set foot at their place of employment overseas. “I observed that there are many cases such as these and urge the Government to strengthen the protection of migrant workers, particularly those who are in situations of vulnerabilities, including the poor and illiterate.”</div><div><br></div><div>Addressing a warping up press conference at Westin Hotel on Tuesday afternoon, González Morales urged authorities to protect the rights of migrant workers at all stages of migration, including pre-departure, during employment abroad and upon their return.</div><div><br></div><div>The Special Rapporteur commended the Government for actions taken to curb these challenges, but said there was still a need to regulate, closely monitor and enhance the recruitment system to ensure effective protection for migrants, including better access to justice.</div><div><br></div><div>The expert noted the stark difference in skilled migration schemes channeled through Government-to-Government initiatives, which yield more beneficial results for migrants due to more robust regulation and oversight.</div><div><br></div><div>“It is the lower-skilled migrants who are often subject to vulnerable situations, including exploitation, as they are often poor, lack education and without access to information that can help inform their decisions and enhance their migration experiences,” González Morales said.</div><div><br></div><div>He welcomed the establishment of a database of aspiring migrant workers as well as better regulation of middlemen, including requirement for registration. González Morales emphasised that responsibility for migrant workers equally falls on countries of destination.</div><div><br></div><div>“These countries must do their part in ensuring strong protection for migrant workers, particularly women who are disproportionately at risk of human rights violations when they are hired as domestic workers,” he said.</div><div><br></div><div>“Destination countries - most of them in the Middle East - must also take an active role in investigating and sanctioning perpetrators of human rights violations against Bangladeshi migrant workers.” “At the same time, Bangladesh should continue reinforcing its consular services”, he added.</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>