Don’t harass UAE-bound workers on tourist visas

A parliamentary body yesterday asked all authorities concerned not to harass UAE-bound migrant workers on tourist visas at the Dhaka airport.

The UAE government stopped issuing work permits for Bangladeshi workers in 2015. Since then, employers in the Gulf state have been bringing in migrant workers with tourist visas and later converting those to work visas, said industry insiders.

In a letter issued in September last year, the immigration police of Bangladesh said holders of tourist visas who intend to work in the UAE will not be able to go past the immigration.

The directive, which was taken to curb the abuse of tourist visas by traffickers and manpower recruiting agencies, came into effect the same day.

However, law enforcement agencies have expressed concern that the directive may have just created a scope for the airport authorities to extort migrant workers.

"Those who have a valid visit visa and if there is no objection from the government about them, then they cannot be harassed and barred from going to their respective destination," said Jatiya Party MP Anisul Islam Mahmud.

Mahmud's comment came as he was emerging from a meeting of the parliamentary standing committee on the ministry of expatriate welfare and overseas employment, which he chaired.

"Why will the immigration authorities stop someone with a valid passport and visa? This must be stopped," he told journalists yesterday.

In yesterday's meeting, the parliamentary watchdog also asked the department of immigration and passports to issue e-passports to migrant workers without any harassment.

The committee also recommended the introduction of insurance for expatriate workers.

"If they have life insurance, they will get money after death. If you get into an accident, you will get benefits. We have asked the ministry to look into the matter. The lives of expatriate workers must be protected," Mahmud said.

The parliamentary body also called for dialogue with Biman Bangladesh Airlines over bringing down the airfare for expatriate workers.