This makes them highly vulnerable to exploitative working conditions in destination countries and thus to forced labour. The findings of the study show that Bangladeshi overseas migrants are highly vulnerable to forced labor and face harsh conditions in destination countries.
Introduction
An analysis of the vulnerability of overseas migrants can help identify the dynamic factors that influence forced labor and the scope and types of possible interventions aimed at the most vulnerable. Findings from this study will help shape intervention strategies to build the capacity of government, recruitment agencies, the criminal justice system, and international agencies.
Migration Context and Process in Bangladesh
Migrants must bear the full cost of the migration process, which includes fees for brokers, middlemen, recruitment agencies and formal fees and expenses such as passport fees, plane tickets, travel insurance, etc. Moreover, since migrants are mostly unskilled and have low levels of education, they are mostly unaware of the process and modalities of migration and are easy targets for fraudulent intermediaries.
Objectives and Research Questions
Methodology and Data
- Approach
- Stocktaking of evidence
- Qualitative data
- Quantitative survey of migrant workers/family members
- Stakeholder consultation workshop
- Analysis
As part of the evaluation of BRAC's Safe Migration program (Das et al, 2017), a census was conducted in 2014 to identify potential migrants. Using the Migration Programme, we randomly selected three RSCs (Narsingdi, Munshiganj and Tangail). .
Qualitative Findings
Characteristically vulnerable
- Low education contributes to vulnerability
- Poverty as a driver for migration and vulnerability
- Lack of social support for women as a driver of vulnerability
One of the common characteristics of migrant workers in this research is that they have very low levels of education. They don't know how to get information, what visa they received, what the passport information is, what is written in the contract.
The perceived necessity of dalals
- Role of middlemen in dealing with paper work and formalities
- Trust on the middlemen as the factor of vulnerability
- Middlemen as the source of misinformation and lies
- Middlemen responsible for illegal migration
- Getting a passport – racket by middlemen
- Dearth of accountability of the middlemen
From the case studies made by BRAC's migration program, it is clear that there are middlemen who are frauds and who run away with the money. The migrations are already overburdened by the dalal they hire to complete the migration process.
The role of recruitment agencies – a mixed bag
- Relatively positive experiences through direct recruitment by agencies
- Different types of recruitment agencies
- Recruitment agencies and middlemen drive up the cost of migration
- Some recruitment agencies at the destination country exacerbate vulnerability
- Women and recruitment agencies
Representatives of the recruitment agencies made comments such as: “why would anyone rape a 40 year old woman. This is probably one of the reasons why the recruitment agencies deny the allegations of abuse.
Illegal migration leading to increased vulnerability
Information around visa shrouded in confusion
- Language barriers influencing vulnerability
- The concept of “free visas”
In the case of the female migrant workers who went for domestic help, their name was called when their employer arrived and the passport and the worker were handed over to the employer. Unlike male migrant workers, none of the female migrant workers knew anyone in the destination country with whom they were already in contact. In the case of one or two of the female domestic helpers, they were allowed to go out and run errands.
One of the male workers in the FGD said that similar things happen to men too. Most of the male migrant workers said that they could cook and eat whatever they wanted. Around 20% of the respondents reported that they could not move freely in the country where they worked.
This leaves the immigration situation of the migrant worker in the hands of the middlemen/employers/agencies and makes the migrants vulnerable to exploitation. While the migrants pay the recruitment agencies at the end of the process and some migrants even refuse to go on the last day.
High cost of migration and indebtedness
Vulnerability in type of employer – company vs. individual
Vulnerability in terms of destination country and sector
- The ubiquitous nature of forced labour
- Saudi Arabia – the plight of female domestic workers
However, if we consider only female migrants, then destination country of Saudi Arabia and sector of domestic service or household emerges as a predictor of vulnerability to forced labor, although all experiences in Saudi Arabia and domestic service are not negative . If you worked to their satisfaction, then they would buy you a lot of things." 25-year-old female migrant to Saudi Arabia. Nevertheless, the case studies of female migrants in this research and BRAC's Migration Program show that in most cases it is women who went for domestic work in Saudi Arabia who were reported to have been subjected to forced labor and in particularly abusive conditions.
As mentioned earlier, there is a demand for female domestic workers in Saudi Arabia, which keeps recruitment agencies as well as intermediaries under pressure to provide. Middlemen often use the feeling that Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam to convince women to migrate there. Dalal told me and I also thought that Saudi is a clean and holy country, that's why I agreed to go there.” female migrant, 25, Saudi Arabia.
Vulnerability related to employment, identification documents, assets and work environment
- Passport and ticket given immediately before embarkation
- Limited or controlled communication with family members
- Socialization and communication with others or other Bangladeshis
- Low/No salary and the vocabulary of being “bought” and “sold”
- Working hours, overtime and work pressure
- Lack of food and sleep – vulnerability to psychological trauma
It was because of that suspicion that they didn't give it to me." 24-year-old immigrant in Saudi Arabia. Some of the domestic workers said they were not allowed to go anywhere, were locked in their rooms and sometimes under the surveillance of CC TVs. This is the reason cited by many of the female migrant workers as to why their employers do not buy them a return ticket.
Many domestic workers complained that they had to work long hours with no time to rest and little time to sleep at night. There were five daughters, two sons and the wives of both sons, three grandchildren, the employer and his wife in this house." 28-year-old migrant worker in Saudi Arabia. I was sleeping in a room where many family members were sleeping, so I couldn't sleep until they fell asleep, which was 1/1/30 in the morning.” 40-year-old migrant worker in Saudi Arabia.
Vulnerability to verbal, physical and sexual abuse
Several female migrant workers stated that their desperation to sleep was the worst and that in times like these they felt like committing suicide. One female migrant worker said she wished she would die in her sleep so she wouldn't have to wake up and go back to work. Female domestic workers in the FGDs and case studies reported quite a few cases of sexual misconduct, often by unmarried brothers or older sons of the employer.
Then they are afraid that she will tell everyone and therefore do not have the courage to do anything.” 25-year-old female migrant worker to Saudi Arabia. The brutality of physical and sexual abuse is evident in the case studies collected by BRAC's Migration Program offering emergency services at the airport. They collected the report from 1,207 female domestic workers who returned from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia between January and November 2018, and who were victims of severe physical and sexual abuse.
Lack of knowledge of labour laws and grievance mechanisms
However, 64% of migrants reported feeling stressed about their stay in their destination country, with the number highest in Kuwait (77%). The discussion based on the qualitative and quantitative findings informs us about a variety of indicators of the vulnerability of (potential) migrants to forced labor. Thus, the greater the amount of physical, verbal and mental violence the migrant experiences, the greater the migrant's vulnerability to becoming a victim of forced labor.
Although the level of vulnerability of migrants who migrate through recruitment agencies is lower, there is a gap in the definition of responsibility if the migrant becomes a victim of forced labour. This increases the vulnerability of migrants to continue working under challenging working conditions to cover the costs of the migration process. Together with GFEM, BIGD has carried out a Beneficiary Vulnerability Analysis to identify the indicators of the vulnerability of migrants/potential migrants to forced labour.
Lack of support from the Bangladeshi embassy in destination
Migration through relatives – safer than other options?
Also, the training previously did not provide any information on what to do if one gets into trouble in the country of destination; but now they do. I learned all the necessary words in their language at the training center and what is in the book. However, the training did not inform me what to do if I got into trouble in that country.
But the female migrant workers who went to work at a stadium in Qatar and those to Jordan on a garment worker visa did not feel the need to take the training. The female migrants stated that they were told what to do if they faced problems in the destination country at the training. Others went to the gym on the day their flight was due to depart.
Quantitative Findings
Analysis of secondary data
- Characteristics of migrants/potential migrants
- Occupations of migrants in destination countries
- Differences in actual and expected salary
- Channels of migration
They told us how to move around the streets and told us to carry papers at all times. The proportion of migrants working in skilled trades (such as mechanics, carpenters, tailors, masons, electricians, etc.) is low. Both the distributions show that most of the workers get a monthly salary of around Tk.
There are very few workers who receive a high salary (Tk. 40,000 or higher), indicating that most of the workers in low-paid jobs are most likely low-skilled workers. The 2017 telephone call survey also collected information on the percentage of migrants engaged in various occupations. These include information on education levels, document status, actual versus expected salary, confiscation of documents, mental health assessment, occupation, migration channels, type of visa obtained, job contracts, information on employment, debt consolidation, hours worked, overtime allowances and abuse in the workplace.
Survey results (BRAC Survey 2019)
- Descriptive Statistics: Education, age and occupation levels
- Channels of migration
- Type of visa obtained by country
- Employment, job contract, hours worked
- Vulnerabilities related to employment work hours, salary, overtime
- Indicators of forced labour
- Abuse and exploitation
- Psychological well being
- Perceptions on treatment of migrants in general
However, the rates are lower among those who migrated to Saudi Arabia and highest among the migrants who migrate to Bahrain. UAE migrants did not see any visit from Bangladesh embassy officials to work sites, while the migrants in Kuwait saw the highest number of visits by the embassy staff. If the migrants willingly work overtime and are paid for the extra work, they are not subjected to forced labour.
92 percent of migrants who suffered physical abuse and 85% of migrants who suffered psychological abuse wanted to return to Bangladesh. 91% of migrants ate proper meals in a day and the number was less for Oman and Bahrain. We were interested in learning about migrants' general perception of the situation of migrants in destination countries.
Analysis and Formulation of Vulnerability Assessment Indicators
However, migrating without a job contract, or those who have accepted a job contract without understanding its details, can increase the migrant's vulnerability to forced labour. These factors affect the vulnerability of migrants because migrants are often unaware of labor laws and work rules in the company and therefore do not protest. Job contract situation Greater knowledge of the job contract and possession of the job contract reduces the vulnerability to forced labour.
Here too, the choice of migration channel is influenced by the personal relationships and socio-economic status of the migrant's family. Uniform levels of access to recruitment agency services are important. e) Limited/no regulation of the intermediaries:. GFEM interventions should aim to regulate this situation with the help of the government and other partners.
Conclusion
