The government and five UN agencies have launched a $2.57 million programme to help Bangladeshi migrant returnees rebuild their lives, find livelihoods and access social protection and other essential services.
The 30-month programme will particularly focus on vulnerable women and children, as well as migrants forced to return home because of crises. It will seek to strengthen the country’s system for the medium- and long-term reintegration of returnees.
An agreement on the joint programme was signed on Thursday by Economic Relations Division Secretary Md Shahriar Kader Siddiky and IOM Chief of Mission in Bangladesh Dr Laura Tomm Bonde.
The initiative brings together the International Organization for Migration (IOM), International Labour Organization (ILO), UN Population Fund (UNFPA), UNICEF and UN Women, with funding from the UN Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fund.
The Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment will lead the implementation of the programme.
More than 13 million Bangladeshis have travelled abroad for work since 2004, including over one million women, according to the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training.
Many returnees struggle to find jobs, access essential services and cope with the psychological impact of their migration experience. The difficulties are particularly severe for those who are forced to return suddenly or in the aftermath of a crisis.
Under the programme, government institutions and gender-responsive civil society organisations will identify vulnerable returnees and connect them with appropriate reintegration services.
The interventions will include individual reintegration planning, capacity building for service providers and pilot initiatives on labour-market integration, financial literacy and psychosocial support.
The programme will also support community outreach, work to address discriminatory social norms and strengthen coordination among agencies at the district level.
“Returnees and their families need services, opportunities, and systems that help them rebuild their lives and contribute to their communities,” said ERD Secretary Shahriar Kader Siddiky.
He stressed the need for stronger coordination among government agencies, UN organisations and civil society groups to develop effective support mechanisms and livelihood opportunities for returnees.
IOM Chief of Mission Laura Tomm Bonde said returning home should be the beginning of sustainable recovery for migrants in need of support.
“Sustainable reintegration requires enhanced support on the individual, community, and structural levels,” she said, adding that the UN agencies would combine their expertise to help the government build a coordinated, migrant-centred reintegration system.
The programme supports Bangladesh’s national goals on migrant return and reintegration and contributes to the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. It also aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals on gender equality, decent work and economic growth, and reduced inequalities.