7/16/2020
Covid-19 And Migrant Workers: Planning the return and reintegration of forced returnees | The Daily Star
no worker is deported without receiving compensation, pending wages and other dues,
testing and treatment for Covid-19, identity papers and other related documentation. If
clearance of outstanding dues is not possible due to prevailing conditions, CoD should
commit to ensuring that employers will settle all outstanding claims as soon as the
situation permits. As the primary frontline stakeholder, missions of CoO have
particular obligations to ensure compliance of labour and international standards of
the concerned CoD.
While negotiating return, Bangladesh should insist that CoD declare amnesty to those
who are in irregular status and allow applications for visa extensions for the workers
who could not apply on time due to Covid-19 to facilitate their return to home
countries. The cases of workers who were forced to be in undocumented status (by
their Kafeels or other reasons) should be investigated and the concerned workers be
provided due redress before they are repatriated.
Bangladesh should ensure that all migrant workers be tested for Covid-19 free of
charge, regardless of visible symptoms prior to departure or embarkation (as has been
negotiated by Sri Lanka). Only those workers should be permitted to return who test
negative. The CoD should ensure that the migrant workers have access to quarantine
facilities during the period in which test results are under process. Due care must be
taken so that workers remain protected and are not exposed to possible infection or
transmission in such holding areas.
The cases of detained migrants should be dealt on a case-by-case basis with due
diligence by Bangladesh Missions and the Labour Department of the concerned CoD.
Their irregular status should not be in the way of accessing testing and treatment of
Covid-19 prior to their return.
The Bangladesh missions should establish a mechanism to register returning migrants.
Among other things, it should record personal details of the worker, name and address
of the employer, type of work, skill level and outstanding claims of wages and end of
service or other benefits (if any). Ideally, if there are outstanding claims or unresolved
labour disputes that the worker is involved in, the missions may secure a power of
attorney from the worker so that those could be pursued by the missions in his/her
absence in future.
While transporting the workers, Bangladesh should insist that either the concerned
employer or the government should be made to bear the costs of air travel. In no
instance should forced deportees be made liable to pay for their return flight. Both
parties are to ensure strict compliance of the World Health Organisation's guidelines
pertaining to air travel including seating allocation, handling of cases suspected during
flight, reduction of exposure and limiting transmission, availability and use of personal
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protective equipment and air recirculation system.
https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/news/covid-19-and-migrant-workers-planning-the-return-and-reintegration-forced-returnees-1926569
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