Bangladesh, US discuss concerns over migrants’ debt coercion

Bangladesh and the United States have discussed concerns with traffickers exploiting legal recruitment fees to trap migrant workers in debt-based coercion.

Officials of the two countries also discussed the need to identify internal forced labour and sex trafficking, increase accountability for traffickers, and provide victims support services.

US Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons John Cotton Richmond had the discussion with Bangladesh government officials and partners during August 3-6, said the US Embassy on Thursday.

They discussed ways to combat trafficking in persons and encourage measurable progress in implementing the recommendations in the Department of State’s annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report.

US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl R Miller joined Ambassador Richmond for meetings in Dhaka with government officials from the Foreign Affairs, Law, Home, Social Welfare and Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment ministries. 

Ambassadors Miller and Richmond applauded the passage of the 2018-2022 National Action Plan and emphasised the importance of prosecution, protection and prevention in combating human trafficking. 

In Cox’s Bazar, Ambassadors Miller and Richmond reviewed with the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner vulnerabilities to trafficking specific to the Rohingya population, steps the government of Bangladesh can take to limit these vulnerabilities, and best practices for handling these trafficking cases. 

They also met the International Organization for Migration and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees protection teams to expand on steps the government can take to limit vulnerabilities to human trafficking for the Rohingya population and more comprehensively address related human-trafficking cases. 

The delegation also met trafficking victims at the USAID-funded Young Power in Social Action TIP Shelter and heard about the reintegration services the shelter provides to survivors.

They had lunch with a group of law students where they discussed the importance of effective prosecution in trafficking in persons cases; the differences between smuggling and human trafficking, whether internal or external; and the importance of the annual TIP Report and implications of Bangladesh’s third consecutive Tier 2 Watch List ranking.

Ambassadors Miller and Richmond engaged international partners and the diplomatic community, including other chiefs of mission, at events throughout the visit on the importance of combating human trafficking.