Govt, five UN agencies join forces to strengthen migrant reintegration

The government and five United Nations agencies have launched a 30-month joint programme to support Bangladeshi migrants and returnees in rebuilding their lives with dignity and accessing social support.

The programme brings together the International Organization for Migration (IOM), International Labour Organization (ILO), UN Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and UN Women to address the medium- and long-term reintegration needs of Bangladeshi migrants and returnees, according to a press release.

Supported by the UN's Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fund, the initiative will strengthen social protection mechanisms and social inclusion, with a focus on vulnerable women, children and crisis-affected migrants.

The Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment (MoEWOE) will implement the programme as the lead government ministry.

The agreement was signed on Thursday by Md Shahriar Kader Siddiky, secretary of the Economic Relations Division (ERD), and Dr Laura Tomm Bonde, IOM chief of mission in Bangladesh.

Key officials, including AKM Sohel, additional secretary and chief of the UN Wing at ERD; MoEWOE Additional Secretary Md Saiful Haque Chowdhury; and Dr Kazi Shahjahan, joint secretary of the UN Wing at ERD, were present at the signing ceremony. Representatives from MoEWOE, IOM, ILO, UN Women, UNICEF, UNFPA and other government agencies also attended.

Dr Laura Tomm Bonde said migration is not a linear process and returning home should mark the beginning of sustainable recovery for those in need, supported by appropriate structures.

“Sustainable reintegration requires enhanced support at the individual, community and structural levels,” she said. “Through this Joint Programme, the UN will bring its expertise together to support the Government of Bangladesh in building a coordinated and migrant-centred reintegration ecosystem.”

“Returnees and their families need services, opportunities and systems that help them rebuild their lives and contribute to their communities,” said Md Shahriar Kader Siddiky.

“This partnership will help strengthen that support through coordinated action by the Government and UN agencies,” he added.

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 (BMET).

Many face difficulties securing employment, accessing essential services and coping with the psychological impact of their migration journeys after returning home. The challenges are particularly severe for those forced to return suddenly or following a crisis.

The programme will support government institutions and gender-responsive civil society organisations in identifying vulnerable returnees and connecting them with gender-responsive reintegration services, read the press release.

Key interventions include tailored reintegration planning, capacity-building for service delivery and pilot programmes on labour market integration, financial literacy, psychosocial support and community outreach. The programme will also address discriminatory social norms and strengthen coordination at the district level.

The programme contributes to Bangladesh's national goals on return and reintegration, as well as Objective 21 of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration on dignified return and sustainable reintegration.

It also supports the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality, Goal 8 on decent work and economic growth, and Goal 10 on reduced inequalities.