Despite record-high remittances last year, the number of Bangladeshi migrant workers going abroad decreased by 22.5 percent in the last year.

A total of 1,011,856 people went abroad, a decrease of 293,597 compared to 1,305,856 people in 2023, according to the Bureau of Manpower, Employment, and Training (BMET).

According to Bangladesh Bank data, expatriates sent home a record US $26.9 billion in remittances, marking a 23 percent year-on-year increase, and providing relief to policymakers striving to bolster the country's dollar reserves.

During the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020, the number of expatriate Bangladeshis going abroad dropped to a record low of 217,669. Since then, however, the numbers have shown an upward trend.

The following year, the figure tripled to 617,209. By 2022, it rose to 1,135,873, and in 2023, reached an all-time high of 1,305,453.

This year, however, the trend has seen a significant decline.

The report also highlighted a concerning drop in female migrant workers. By November last year, only 54,696 women had gone overseas, marking a 22 percent decline compared to the previous year.

Saudi Arabia remained the primary destination for Bangladeshi migrant workers, accounting for 60 percent of all migrations last year, followed by Malaysia and Qatar as major destinations, said the report.

The report titled "Labour Dynamics of Labour Migration from Bangladesh in 2024", published by the Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU), revealed that corruption, irregularities, and fraudulent practices have severely impacted Bangladesh's labour migration opportunities.

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Must our migrants pay the price every time?

At a recent press briefing, Prof Tasneem Siddiqui, founding chairperson of RMMRU, attributed the contraction in the labour market to systemic corruption and irregularities.

"In 2021, Malaysia reopened its labour market under a syndicate, but it was shut down again in May 2024," she explained.

"This syndicate, led by Datuk Seri Aminul Islam and his Bangladeshi associate Ruhul Amin, misappropriated US  $2 billion. Their actions inflated migration costs, leaving many workers stranded abroad or forced to return home."

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Address the plight of returnee migrant workers

She also noted that labour migration to several countries, including Oman, Bahrain, the UAE, and the Maldives, remained suspended throughout 2024.

Furthermore, migration to Italy and Serbia was halted due to the submission of falsified documents.

The report noted that migration slowed during the July uprising and economic instability, but activity has rebounded in recent months.

To address these issues, Prof Tasneem urged the interim government to prioritise governance reforms in the migration sector.

She proposed establishing a dedicated migration commission, increasing budget allocations, and implementing robust policies to tackle migration issues.

She also stressed the need for policy reforms, enhanced skills development programmes for workers, and the creation of safe job opportunities for women.

Additionally, she emphasised improving the overall migration system by ensuring transparency in recruitment processes and strengthening training centres.