A total of 215 more Bangladeshi workers who were deported by the immigration of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia returned home on Wednesday night.
In the first two weeks of November, a total of 1,561 workers were deported by the Saudi government while over 21,000 workers were deported from KSA since January.
Two flights of Saudi Airline brought back the 215 Bangladeshi workers, said officials of Wage Earner Welfare Board and BRAC migration program.
The Wage Earner Welfare Board and BRAC provided emergency supports, including food and water, to the returned migrants and helped them to return their respective houses.
Sohrab of Kishoreganj said that he returned empty-handed as the Saudi authorities forcefully sent him back.
He migrated to Saudi Arabia two years ago spending Tk 5 lakh but the crackdown destroyed his dream of earning money.
Another victim, Harun, of Gazipur, said that he migrated to Saudi Arabia spending Tk 6 lakh and he was employed in a construction company there.
Saudi authorities deported him after the police after detained him while he was returning home from his workplace.
Shahbul Islam of Tangail said that he was a driver in Bangladesh and a broker convinced him that he would be migrated to Saudi Arabia through recruiting agency Ms. Zabed Overseas with a driving visa about four months ago.
After landing in Saudi Arabia he found out that he did not have any job and he could not earn anything in the last four months, he added.
BRAC migration program head Shariful Hasan said that in the current year around 21,000 Bangladeshi workers were sent back to Bangladesh from Saudi Arabia.
Many workers paid their employers to renew work permits but the employers did not prepare the papers, he said, adding that the Arab employers did not take responsibility of the workers for their detention.
Describing such incidents ‘regretful’ Shariful said that the deported workers were tensed about their future.
He urged the authorities concerned to take preventive measures before sending workers to Saudi Arabia and put a ban on so-called free visas.
SOURCE : ALBILAD
