10,000 Malaysia-bound workers may miss flights. Here is why

• Thousands face delays reaching Malaysia due to recruiting agency mismanagement
• May 31 is the last day for workers to arrive under a Malaysia-Bangladesh deal
• Some agencies provided workers with fake documents, preventing them from flying
• Ticket prices have skyrocketed to four times, exceeding government limits
• The total migration cost has risen significantly
• The Malaysian government blames recruiting agencies for not acting sooner on the deadline

Thousands of aspirant migrant workers face uncertainty and distress as they try to reach Malaysia before the 31 May deadline set by authorities in the destination country, thanks to the mismanagement and dubious dealings of a syndicate of recruiting agencies.

According to sector insiders, the deadline set by Malaysian authorities has left over 10,000 aspiring migrants still waiting for flights, with many unable to secure tickets due to delays caused by recruiting agencies.

The situation is worsened by the issuance of fake demand letters, leaving some workers stranded as their prospective employers face blacklisting by Malaysian authorities for corruption.

Shamim Ahmed Chowdhury Noman, former secretary-general of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira), estimates that between 10,000 and 15,000 workers could not fly as of yesterday.

Shamim, who owns Sadia International, one of the 100 recruiting agencies forming the reported syndicate, acknowledges the challenges faced by workers and the limited availability of flights.

Meanwhile, airfare prices on Dhaka-Malaysia routes have surged to four times their normal rates, with workers now forced to pay over Tk1 lakh per ticket, compared to Tk30,000-40,000 six months ago.

Akhirul Islam, from Dohar in Dhaka, said, "I got my visa ages ago, but the agency never told me when to leave. Then, out of the blue on 23 May, I learned I must leave by 31 May. When I checked, ticket prices had skyrocketed from Tk40,000 to Tk100,000. Hoping for a drop, I waited, but no luck. Now, I'm exploring other options."

This spike in costs has pushed migration expenses to as high as Tk6 lakh, far exceeding the government fixed rate of Tk79,000.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Faruk Khan addressed the media yesterday about airfares for Malaysian passengers.

He said, "Airfares depend on supply and demand. Those involved in sending workers to Malaysia were informed one month ago that 31 May was the deadline. However, neither recruiting agencies nor other suppliers acted on this. Currently, Bangladesh Biman operates three to four flights to Malaysia daily."

The minister added, "Yesterday, some individuals from Malaysia requested permission for a chartered flight from Dhaka to Malaysia using an Air Cambodia aircraft. We granted permission promptly. If Biman had been informed earlier, appropriate actions could have been taken. Despite ongoing Hajj flights, we strive to offer opportunities."

Under a bilateral agreement, Malaysia pledged to hire around 5 lakh workers from Bangladesh, with approximately 4.50 lakh already migrated by April this year, according to the Bureau of Manpower, Employment, and Training (BMET).

However, allegations of joblessness among thousands of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia have been raised by various quarters, including UN labour experts.

Baira Secretary General Ali Haider Chowdhury told TBS, "My agency is not involved in sending workers to Malaysia, so I am not aware of any fake demand letters issued by Malaysian employers."

He mentioned that about 300 workers could not fly as of yesterday. However, the expatriate welfare ministry informed him that a special flight had been arranged for them on Friday.

Massive queue of migrant workers overwhelms Kuala Lumpur airport

Yesterday, Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur International Airport was overwhelmed by a surge of migrant workers, mostly low-skilled and highly vulnerable.

Immigration Director-General Ruslin Jusoh reported that while the airport's Terminals 1 and 2 typically receive 500 to 1,000 foreign workers daily, the number soared to 4,500 on 27 May, reports Free Malaysia Today.

The influx is attributed to employers rushing to bring in workers before the 1 June deadline.

On 1 March, the Malaysian home ministry announced that unused quotas for foreign workers would be cancelled on 1 June. This move aimed to free up quotas for hiring new workers, as the allocation had been frozen since March of last year.

"The immigration department expects the number of arrivals to continue increasing until tomorrow, based on information from airlines that they will increase the frequency of flights to meet demand," said Jusoh in a statement.

Andy Hall, an independent migrant worker rights specialist based in Kuala Lumpur, expressed serious concerns to TBS about the welfare and employment status of these workers.

"Many of these workers are victims of a criminal syndicate trafficking Bangladeshi workers for forced labour in Malaysia. The average cost to enter the country has recently increased to $6,000 per person. Many are at high risk of modern slavery, arriving to bogus employers with no jobs, facilitated by corrupt officials, agencies, and intermediaries," he said.

Hall criticised Malaysia's migrant management system, saying, "The system has clearly broken down, with increasing impunity, corruption, and lack of rule of law. The victims are increasing, as are the risks of modern slavery."