7/16/2020 Migrant workers coming home: To what? | The Daily Star "We are continuously following up on the crisis facing our migrant workers" Nasreen Jahan, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment   When our workers started to return in March, we formed a working committee with representatives of all the ministries concerned. We are continuously following up on the measures that have been taken by these ministries and working to help our returnee migrant workers, as well as those who are stuck in foreign countries and/or languishing in deportation centres and jails. We have given Tk 20 crore cash incentives to our migrant workers through 32 foreign missions so that our workers do not go hungry. We gave Tk 5,000 to each worker who returned between March and May 31 as their conveyance allowance. The government has also created a fund worth Tk 200 crore from the Wage Earners Welfare Board and deposited it to the Probashi Kallyan Bank. Our returnee migrant workers can take loans worth Taka one to five lakh at only four percent interest rate from the bank without any mortgage and start small businesses. In the proposed budget, another 500 crore was allocated for strengthening and extending the loan facilities. The government has other plans, such as providing skill training through our missions so workers do not have to return. We have been working with our development partners and donor organisations—ADB, World bank, Swiss Development Agency, IOM, ILO, UN Women, etc—in this regard. https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/news/migrant-workers-coming-home-what-1922477 7/14