Decentralisation Initiative: A New Chapter for Migrant Workers in Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, immigration clearance, a necessary step for employees leaving for jobs abroad, is poised to go through a substantial upheaval. The impending decentralization of immigration clearance services, which would bring them closer to migrant workers, has been confirmed by government authorities. The Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET) office in Dhaka is currently the central location for this service.

By transferring the immigration clearance service to the District Employment and Manpower Offices, the central office will experience less stress. This transition’s initial phase will concentrate on nations with well established online visa programs and low forgery risks. With a concentration on the Middle Eastern nations, where there are fewer occurrences of visa fraud, about 85% of approvals will be conducted at the district level.

According to BMET officials, the initiative will start in all 50 states the following month, with the addition of 22 more district level offices to the current 42. With plans for separate office spaces in the following year, these new workplaces will first function within technical training institutes.

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While less skilled workers will continue through their individual manpower recruiting firms, the inclusion of online immigration clearance options for qualified workers intends to simplify the procedure. Less skilled individuals who could be vulnerable to abuse are further protected by this division.

This transformation includes a fundamental change: after completing the immigration clearance process, workers will have the option to obtain their smart cards online instead of using physical ones. A few of the services provided by district level offices are document verification, pre-departure orientation, family compensation for migrant workers who pass away, financial aid for migrant workers who must be repatriated due to illness, fingerprinting of migrant workers leaving the country, and awareness campaigns.

Gazipur, Narayanganj, Sherpur, Madaripur, and several more districts have been chosen for the establishment of these offices. The tdecentralizationtion strategy is a step in the right direction towards giving migrant labour more easily accessible services and improving their overall experience with the migration process.