World Bank to lend up to $100m for returning migrant workers

The World Bank is set to provide $80 million to $100 million in loan assistance over four years to support the rehabilitation, reintegration and employment of Bangladeshi migrant workers returning home from abroad.

The assistance will be provided under the government’s Recovery and Advancement of Informal Employment (RAISE) project, which includes skills training, employment support and assistance for returning migrants seeking to start businesses.

Wage Earners’ Welfare Board Director Mahbub Ul Karim disclosed the plan on Thursday (August 13) at a national conference titled “Rights-Based Governance of Labour Migration and Integrated Advocacy” at the Probashi Kallyan Bhaban in Dhaka.

He said the initiative would not only help reintegrate returnee workers but also create opportunities for their future employment and livelihoods.

The conference was told that the government began collecting information on returning documented migrant workers in January to bring them under protection and various government services. The data will help identify their skills, needs and employment prospects and facilitate targeted reintegration support.

According to World Bank data, nearly 200,000 returning migrant workers have already registered under the RAISE project and received services related to reintegration, including support for starting businesses.

Karim also highlighted challenges faced by Bangladeshi workers abroad, particularly those lacking adequate technical skills. Citing the recent cancellation of visas for around 5,500 Bangladeshi workers in the United Arab Emirates, he stressed the need to provide workers with proper technical training before they leave the country.

Speakers at the conference said ensuring safe and dignified labour migration requires more than simply sending workers overseas. Workers’ rights, safety and social protection must be ensured at every stage of the migration process, while returning workers should receive rehabilitation, skills development and employment opportunities.

They also called for coordinated efforts among trade unions, civil society organisations, government agencies, employers’ groups and migrant-worker representatives to strengthen labour migration governance.

Representatives of government agencies, labour federations, employers’ organisations, migrant workers, academia and development partners attended the conference.