GOVERNMENT ATTENTION FOCUSED ON ADDRESSING MIGRANT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 DHAKA 001058 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ELAB ETRD KCRM KWMN KFRD PHUM BG SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT ATTENTION FOCUSED ON ADDRESSING MIGRANT LABOR ABUSES REF: DHAKA 419 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. The Ministry of Expatriate Welfare pledged its cooperation with the Embassy in combating labor trafficking and tracking investigations and prosecutions of these cases. Deputy Secretary Datta outlined for us the various enforcement tools at their disposal, and described some of the improvements that have been implemented in recent months in the labor export industry. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) On June 8 POLOFF and USAID met with Sudhaker Datta, Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment, to discuss USG concerns regarding migrant labor abuse and labor trafficking issues. LABOR EXPORTS: THE LAY OF THE LAND ================================== ¶3. (SBU) Datta emphasized the management of the Bangladesh labor export industry is a joint government-private sector operation. The Ministry of Expatriate Welfare has responsibility for overseeing the labor export market in Bangladesh. The Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET),under the Ministry, maintains a database of workers. BMET also conducts investigations into recruitment agency abuses, and recommends actions to the Ministry. BMET has 21 offices (called District Employment and Manpower offices) throughout the country. These district offices also attempt to do outreach and provide accurate information for prospective laborers. ¶4. (SBU) The Bangladesh Association of International Recruitment Agencies (BAIRA) is the association that represents the interests of recruitment agencies. The association also plays a key facilitation role. In Malaysia, for example, they collect visas and work permits and send them to suitable recruitment agencies in Bangladesh. After the arrest of BAIRA's president and dissolution of BAIRA's board because of allegations of corruption and overcharging, the government appointed an interim Deputy Secretary to run the organization temporarily. (REFTEL) ¶5. (SBU) Presently, there are over 900 recruitment agencies registered with BMET, though the Ministry estimates there are only about 500 actually in operation. There are only five or six large agencies able to process up to 1,000 workers per month. Recruitment agencies have to pay the Ministry a deposit of 700,000 taka ($10,150) when they register, and an annual renewal fee of 20,000 taka ($290). Recently, the Ministry has discussed raising the fee to two million taka ($29,000),but raising the barriers to entry could create an industry dominated by just a few huge companies, and this could drive up the price of labor and harm Bangladesh's competitive edge. INCREASED ENFORCEMENT, OVERSIGHT ================================ ¶6. (SBU) Datta was optimistic the recent anti-corruption drive was yielding improvements in the export labor industry. All recruitment agencies must be licensed by the Expatriate Welfare Ministry, which can issue administrative penalties such as seizing deposits and canceling licenses. If offenses exceed the deposit amount, the Ministry takes the administrative actions it has at its disposal, and then refers the case to the Home Ministry for further action. ¶7. (SBU) Malaysia's temporary freeze on the import of Bangladeshi laborers in 2006, combined with a series of raids by Bangladeshi authorities and closure of several recruitment agencies linked to abuses, have helped clean up the recruitment agency industry. After the reinstatement of a bilateral agreement with Malaysia, the number of expatriate workers going there has been steadily increasing, reaching 70,000 in May. DHAKA 00001058 002 OF 003 A PROCESS WITH NEW SAFEGUARDS... ================================ ¶8. (SBU) Datta described how a Malaysian company now recruits labor from Bangladesh. First, the Malaysian company submits a request for Bangladeshi laborers to the Malaysian Immigration Department. Once permission is granted, the company goes to BAIRA's Kuala Lumpur office, which provides the Bangladeshi High Commission with company documents (contract, company profile, etc.) for approval and forwarding to the Expatriate Welfare Ministry in Dhaka. ¶9. (SBU) The Expatriate Welfare Ministry reviews the documentation. Once BAIRA is informed of an approval, it selects recruitment agencies it has chosen to fill the order. The recruitment agencies, which have workers waiting to be placed, provide BMET with names, passport numbers, and fingerprints. BMET then forwards this information to the Malaysian Immigration Department. The government of Malaysia grants permission for those people to enter the country and authorizes the High Commission in Dhaka to issue visas. Once visas are issued, the Immigration Department informs the Kuala Lumpur International Airport officials and police of the names and flights of the workers. ...BUT STILL NOT PERFECT ======================== ¶10. (SBU) In one recent case, Bangladeshi newspapers reported that several workers were left stranded at Kuala Lumpur International Airport for days without money, food, or phone access, upon disembarking from a flight from Dhaka. Datta explained the workers missed their original flight, and the recruitment agency failed to inform the Malaysian authorities of the new arrival flight. The Expatriate Ministry is currently pursuing proceedings against the recruitment agency involved, which will most likely result in a financial penalty. ¶11. (SBU) When cases like this arise, the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur is usually contacted immediately. In this case, a breakdown in communication resulted in the High Commission not being notified until the situation was nearly resolved. Datta acknowledged the need for better coordination between the Foreign Ministry and Expatriate Welfare Ministry in the handling of cases such as this. ¶12. (SBU) Datta said the Expatriate Welfare Ministry is trying to improve services for migrant workers, though it is challenging since many workers have never been abroad before, and the majority are illiterate. The Ministry produces emergency information cards that are now included in all workers' information packets, and Bangladeshi diplomats are receiving improved training in how to respond to migrant workers who come to the embassy seeking assistance. COMMENT: MUCH ACCOMPLISHED, MUCH STILL TO BE DONE ============================================= ==== ¶13. (SBU) COMMENT. The Expatriate Welfare Ministry has been extremely responsive to our efforts to engage them in a dialogue on combating labor migration abuses. The government as a whole still tends to view trafficking through the lens of sexual trafficking and child exploitation, but they are cooperating with us in the development of an action plan to fold labor into our joint anti-trafficking strategy. Resources, particularly case tracking, remain the main problem, but we are hopeful the government will be able to expand its current case tracking system to incorporate prosecutions of labor abuses as well. END COMMENT. ¶14. (SBU) Post continues to work closely with the Bangladesh government, and especially the ministries for Home Affairs and Expatriate Welfare, to address trafficking-related issues DHAKA 00001058 003 OF 003 and create and maintain adequate tracking systems for ongoing cases. PASI