Bangladesh, UN agencies launch joint programme to support migrant returnees
DHAKA, Oct 8: Bangladesh and five United Nations agencies have launched a 30-month joint programme to strengthen the reintegration of migrant workers and returnees, with a particular focus on vulnerable women, children and migrants affected by crises.
The initiative brings together the International Organization for Migration (IOM), International Labour Organization (ILO), UN Population Fund (UNFPA), UNICEF and UN Women to help returning migrants rebuild their lives and gain access to social protection and other essential services.
The Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment (MoEWOE) will lead implementation of the programme, which is supported by the UN Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fund.
The agreement was signed in Dhaka on Thursday by Economic Relations Division (ERD) Secretary Md Shahriar Kader Siddiky and IOM Chief of Mission in Bangladesh Dr Laura Tomm Bonde.
Senior officials from the ERD, MoEWOE and participating UN agencies attended the signing ceremony.
Speaking at the event, Dr Bonde said migration was not a linear process and that returning home should mark the beginning of sustainable recovery for migrants who need support.
She stressed that sustainable reintegration requires assistance at the individual, community and structural levels.
“Through this Joint Programme, the UN will bring their expertise together to support the Government of Bangladesh to continue for building a coordinated and migrant-centred reintegration ecosystem,” she said.
ERD Secretary Siddiky said returnees and their families needed services, opportunities and systems that would enable them to rebuild their lives and contribute to their communities.
“This partnership will help strengthen that support through coordinated action by the Government and UN agencies,” he said.
According to the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), more than 13 million Bangladeshis have travelled abroad for employment since 2004, including more than one million women.
Many returnees face difficulties finding employment and accessing essential services after returning home. Those who return suddenly or following a crisis can face additional economic and social challenges.
Under the new programme, government institutions and gender-responsive civil society organisations will work to identify vulnerable returnees and connect them with appropriate reintegration services.
The programme will include individualised reintegration planning, capacity building for service providers and targeted initiatives to improve labour-market integration.
Other areas of intervention will include financial literacy training, psychosocial support, community outreach, addressing discriminatory social norms and strengthening coordination at the district level.
The initiative is also aligned with Bangladesh's national objectives on migrant return and reintegration and supports Objective 21 of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, which focuses on dignified return and sustainable reintegration.
It also contributes to the UN 2030 Agenda, particularly Sustainable Development Goals on gender equality, decent work and economic growth, and reducing inequalities.
The programme comes as Bangladesh seeks to strengthen institutional support for migrant workers, whose overseas employment remains a major source of income for millions of families and an important component of the country's economy.
