What pushes Bangladeshis out to sea and possible death?
Since 2014, 283 Bangladeshis have died on their voyage through the Mediterranean Sea to Europe
On 2 May, eight Bangladeshi nationals arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in coffins. The deceased included two 18-year-old teenagers while the oldest national was 35 years old, according to local media reports.
They died in the Mediterranean sea when a Europe-bound boat from Libya capsized off the Tunisian coast. The boat was carrying 52 migrants of different nationalities. At least nine people, including eight Bangladeshis, died when the boat capsized following a fire accident on 15 February, according to the Bangladesh Embassy in Libya.
Among the 44 rescued, 27 were Bangladeshis, eight Pakistanis, five Syrians and four Egyptians – meaning 67% of the boat's population was Bangladeshis.
Bangladeshi nationals taking the dangerous Mediterranean sea route – known as one of the deadliest migration routes – in pursuit of the "European dream" or a better life, have consistently made up a large percentage of the total number of migrant boat travellers for nearly a decade now.
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This year, from January to 30 April 2024, out of 16,200 people reaching Europe using this route, Bangladeshis made up 21% of the number, said Amy Pope, IOM Director General, at a press conference in the capital on 7 May.
But what drives this desperation to risk death in the hopes of a better life?
The boat migrants
Do you remember Adriana – a fishing boat, carrying about 750 migrants which capsized off the Greece coast on 14 June 2023? Consequently killing at least 600 people – a large-scale tragedy, even for the Mediterranean migration crossing. Probably not.
Media attention at the time indiscriminately focused on the Titan over Adriana. The Titan submarine tragedy happened when five passengers on board the vessel died on 18 June after it imploded about 90 minutes into a dive to view the famous 1912 Titanic shipwreck, which sits at a depth of 12,500ft in the North Atlantic.
A ticket on the submarine costs up to $250,000.
The incident is a stark reminder of how lives are valued, and also how common Mediterranean sea migrant deaths have become. About 50% of those killed in the Adriana capsize were Pakistanis reportedly escaping economic crisis.
Reports from the UN and IOM migration trackers indicate economic crisis and conflicts as causes behind the Mediterranean sea route; and refugees also contribute to the statistics.
This begs the question, then why do Bangladeshis continue to make up high numbers of the Mediterranean sea route statistic?
The economy is indeed developing, but that growth isn't creating opportunities for the youth who are joining the labour force in large numbers every year. This makes them look for opportunities elsewhere and does not deter the more adventurous and desperate ones from undertaking perilous journeys.
"'The European dream' is when they believe life is better there and one must somehow reach [the destination]," said Shariful Hasan, Associate Director, BRAC Migration programme, who pointed out the concentration areas from where Bangladeshis are taking off [such as Nasringdi, Madaripur, etc] do not have climate change as a cause.
Since 2015, "Bangladeshis have consistently made it to the top list [of boat migrants in the Mediterranean sea]. Some years making it to the top four or first," added Hasan.
There is also a misconception that only the poor and less educated are taking this route for a better life. However "if we look at the composition of this cohort we see it is not only just them" said Dr CR Abrar, academic and executive director of the Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU).
This endeavour is costly – it may cost more than Tk15 lakh – and comes with a very high risk of death. But year after year, Bangladeshis are taking this risk. Dr Abrar pointed out two things: have we really done anything to address this particular problem and identify the root causes?
"Has there been any effort to work with returnee migrants to understand the mechanisms that human smugglers put in place, the incentives that are offered to the victims and the points of failure of the state authorities to nab the facilitators?" he asked.
Secondly, the "facilitators of the irregular migration have become emboldened over time," he said, adding, "Every now and then we come across news of these deaths but the media attention peters out within a short time. There really isn't much of a follow-up of what happens to the smugglers or brokers, the perpetrators."
While identifying the perpetrators is one vital step, "that is not enough, there must be information campaigns to raise awareness [of the risks]," he added, "there are networks. Once they land, let's say in Italy, they have people there already connected," making it easier to find jobs.
Those who go on this irregular migration route are also those who have little opportunity to migrate through the regular routes, Dr Abrar explained. "Demographic factors demand Europe bring in more workers for different sectors from external sources but right-wing xenophobic policies preclude policymakers to do so, and hence it encourages movement through irregular channels, making the migrants vulnerable," he observed.
It is worth mentioning that Bangladesh consistently secures a very low position in the passport index, despite a growing economy. This coupled with foreign policies which limit regular migration, it is certainly imperative that we invest in and equip the youth population with job skills.
Big economy, small coverage?
How can we explain a bullish economy and a high migrant population undertaking the Mediterranean sea route? "It depends on your perspective. The economy is indeed developing, but that growth isn't creating opportunities for the youth who are joining the labour force in large numbers every year. This makes them look for opportunities elsewhere and does not deter the more adventurous and desperate ones from undertaking perilous journeys," replied Dr Abrar.
There has undoubtedly been economic growth. Things have improved in terms of indicators such as GDP, per capita income, "but we have to address the growth redistribution," said Dr Sayema Haque, economist and research director SANEM, explaining that there still are pockets of the population who are not covered by this growth.
"The pull and push factors of migration are also important to look at in understanding this phenomenon," she said. If one migrates due to the pull factors – being attracted to a better life elsewhere – they travel and reach their destination by aeroplane, "but that is not the case for those who are migrating via Dunki method and/or boats on the Mediterranean sea; they are compelled by the push factors," she added.
There needs to be more study, data and research on this recurring phenomenon.
"I am concerned with the demographic dividend," said Selim Raihan, Dhaka University's Economics professor and Executive Director, SANEM, "I think the youth population, which generally is a blessing, will soon become a burden."
He also pointed to Bangladesh's growing NEET problem – the young population aged between 15-35 who are neither working or studying (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) – and the jobless growth of the economy as serious concerns.
Experts believe it is high time to identify the root causes, track down the perpetrators and launch nationwide awareness campaigns to change the course of thousands of Bangladeshi lives at sea.
The "success" stories are those where Bangladeshis staved off death on this route, arrived at their destination country and secured a job. But this success is disproportionately believed to be the all-stop solution for a better life.
Amy Pope, IOM's Director General, said at the press conference earlier this month that since 2014, 283 Bangladeshis have died on their way to Europe via the Mediterranean Sea.
