Bangladesh champion in migration management, yet a lot to be done: Visiting IOM official

The visiting International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Deputy Director-General Ugochi Daniels on Tuesday said Bangladesh is now a champion in migration management, yet it needs to do a lot more, especially to ensure ethical migration and reduce migration costs. 

"For instance, the country can go for more and more bilateral labour migration agreements with employer countries," the second-in-command of the United Nations migration agency said while talking to a group of journalists from selected media outlets at a city hotel on her five-day visit. 

Bangladesh also can work for upskilling aspirant migrants so that they become well prepared for their jobs, added Ugochi Daniels, who came to Dhaka on 22 July and left on Tuesday.

"In migration management, Bangladesh is really a champion. The IOM continues to support the Bangladesh government to view migration as a beneficial phenomenon."

Referring to the government's latest initiative of inter-ministerial coordination mechanisms for GCM titled "Bangladesh Migration Compact Taskforce", which is the first of its kind, Daniels said this will be an example to others.

When asked how Illegal visa trading, which is a key reason for higher migration costs, can be prevented, she said this is also one of their key focuses.

"We work very closely with the International Labour Organisation. One pillar of the effort is ethical recruitment, meaning that migrants should not pay the costs and fees. We also work with the private sector and recruiting agencies. A lot of progress has been made. Still, a lot more things need to be done."

To ensure regular migrations, she said, "Fundamentally you [Bangladesh] have to work on the root causes such as lack of access to quality education, healthcare and livelihoods, for which irregular migrations occur." 

Bangladesh has so far sent more than 13 million of its nationals to different countries since 1976, who have contributed to the economies of both host countries and home country, she noted, adding that Bangladesh's position is now sixth in terms of sending migrants and eighth in receiving remittance.

"However, in Bangladesh, we don't have any data on returnee migrants. In most countries, governments collect data and we provide support to them. Due to lack of adequate data, we struggle to report on returnee migrants in some countries."

Talking about the Rohingya, Ugochi Daniels hoped that the global political leaders will take necessary steps to end people's displacement like the Rohingya influx to Bangladesh.

"Right now, we have the highest number of displaced people [including rohingya] ever in the history of mankind."

While the government of Bangladesh and the local and international community have been providing immediate humanitarian assistance from the onset, the needs are immense and will be until the Rohingya can return to Myanmar in a safe and dignified way, she added.  

Regarding Rohingya funding, the IOM official said the funding trend has been in a downward trend. "It's not only specific to the Rohingya, but also other emergencies around the world, as it is now a tough task for the donors to set priorities amid growing new crises."

Daniels, who joined as deputy director-general at the IOM in September last year, concluded her visit to Bangladesh expressing great happiness. Her career with the United Nations spans almost two decades.