The organisations are: Migrant Forum in Asia (MFA), Lawyers Beyond Borders (LBB) Network,
Cross Regional Centre for Migrants and Refugees (CCRM), South Asia Trade Union Council
(SARTUC), and Solidarity Center (SC).
RMMRU strongly endorses the statement and urges all Bangladeshi migrant support, human
rights and other civil society organisations to call upon the government to work for
establishing such a justice mechanism to protect workers from the wage theft.
The organisations in the statement said the COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted
millions of migrant workers in destination countries.
Many migrant workers have experienced job loss or non-payment of wages, and employers
forced them to take unpaid leave or reduced wages.
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The statement also pointed out many migrant workers also struggle with the dilemma of
exercising their right to return in these circumstances, while others remain stranded in cities
without access to services or support, or in border areas, living in precarious conditions posing
as quarantine facilities.
The rights bodies in the statement said the countries of destination and origin have begun
repatriation procedures of these workers, without giving thought to their predicament and
presenting the returns as inevitable.
They said millions will be repatriated to situations of debt bondage as they will be forced to pay
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recruitment fees and costs, despite returning empty handed.
The rights organisations said the repatriation poses additional challenges, as, without proper
controls, employers might take advantage of mass repatriation programmes to terminate and
return workers who have not been paid their due compensation, wages and bene ts.
The statement said this is a gross violation of labour rights on a large scale.
Wage theft will account for millions of dollars to the detriment of workers and the bene t of
businesses and employers who will be exempted from any accountability, even if states and
banks extend a helpline to reestablish themselves and adjust to the new normal, it added.
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