New Complications Arise for Bangladeshi Migrant Workers

Bangladesh barred the Saudia’s flights to Bangladesh in retaliation to Saudi Arabia restricting operations of Biman Bangladesh flights, which resulted in the almost complete halting of air travel between Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh (Flickr).

Thousands of Bangladeshis face new obstacles to employment abroad after Bangladeshi Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen met with diplomats from five Gulf countries and Malaysia on September 30. 

 Bangladeshi migrant workers had to return home at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. These workers now hope to return back to their livelihoods abroad, however, a lack of flights and the need to request from their employer a formal approval to return has complicated their efforts.

The Bangladeshi government urged Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, and Malaysia to manage the dilemma. Saudi Arabia, which employed four million Bangladeshis before the pandemic, has agreed to issue 25,000 new visas for workers stuck in Bangladesh, in addition to renewing all existing visas.

This action comes in the wake of migrant protests, which  surrounded the Foreign Ministry and the Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka. Workers also demonstrated in front of the offices of Saudia, the flagship airline of Saudi Arabia, demanding flights to the Kingdom, which remains the largest concern for many migrants.

To quell these worries, Biman Bangladesh, Bangladesh’s flagship airline, attempted to arrange flights to Saudi Arabia but faced obstructions from the Saudi civil aviation authorities. In retaliation, Bangladesh barred Saudia’s flights to Bangladesh, which resulted in the almost complete halting of air travel between Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh. 

Both airlines resumed flight operations on October 1, according to the Daily Star. Because  many workers have already purchased  tickets on the black market, however, the supply of tickets available through official channels has been significantly depleted. 

In addition to flight availability issues, migrants have had difficulty contacting their employers in Saudi Arabia so as to request an approval to return. The government of Bangladesh has not had success ameliorating this latter problem, however, so many migrants remain in a state of uncertainty.