Find our people work, Bangladesh asks UAE

Drop in Bangladeshi immigrant workers causes alarm.

ABU DHABI // After a significant drop in the number of its citizens coming to the UAE, the Bangladesh Embassy has been in conversation with the Government to allow more workers into the country.

The mission is trying to find out what jobs are available so they can supply workers accordingly.

Mohammed Nazmul Quaunine, Bangladesh's ambassador, said: "Earlier, around 20,000 Bangladeshi were coming to the Emirates each month, but now it has gone down significantly.

"It's affecting our economy, too."

The government of Bangladesh is also trying to find other destinations for workers, as the country's economy relies on workers abroad remitting money home."We are in contact with the host country and we are ready to give what kind of workforce they need," he said.

Bangladesh sends workers of all skill levels abroad, and the UAE has been a favourite destination.

The ambassador said Bangladeshis are considered to be disciplined and hardworking, and have made big contributions to the UAE.

Mr Quaunine noted that a problem Bangladeshis in the UAE face is problems with transferring visas from one company to another.

"Investors, businessmen and low-paid workers are facing such problems," he said. "But these people are already in the UAE."

The workers have Ministry of Labour approval, but run into problems afterwards.

"Some businessmen got permission [from the ministry] to transfer workers from one shop to another and paid money to the ministry. But they submit papers to immigration and they get rejected," he said.

The workers, he said, have fulfilled all requirements. According to Financial Express, an English newspaper in Dhaka, recruitment of Bangladeshi labourers by the UAE declined by 85 per cent last month, which caused concern among manpower exporters.

There were 2,337 new workers in September, down from 15,771 in August following new visa restrictions, according to information released by the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET).

Data showed that 33,161 Bangladeshis found work outside the country in September, down from 43,773 the previous month.

Abdul Hai, of the Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies, told the Financial Express: "No UAE visa will be available in our hand from next month."

Dr Tasnim Siddique, of the Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit, said the government of Bangladesh should find new destinations for workers.

According to the BMET, about 514,484 workers have taken jobs abroad between January and September of this year. Of those, 214,328 went to the UAE, 132,350 to Oman, 11,390 to Lebanon, 7,392 to Jordan, 43,707 to Singapore, 19,341 to Qatar, 16,310 to Bahrain and 14,555 to Libya.