Maldives FM urges Dhaka to combat illegal migration

Dhaka needs to combat illegal migration of its workers to Male as thousands of Bangladeshi labourers have landed in the small island nation with false job documents, foreign minister of the Maldives said Monday.

Ahmed Naseem said some 50,000 Bangladeshi are now working in his country, --- a nation of only around 400,000 people --- with one-third having no valid documents or registration.

The minister said the Maldivian government has planned to register many of these workers, but he urged Dhaka to come up with efforts to tackle illegal migration, which has spawned a thriving business for rogue Bangladeshi recruiters.

"No Bangladeshi worker should go to the Maldives without any appointment letter and clearance from Bangladeshi high commission there," Naseem told the FE in an interview at a Dhaka hotel Monday.

He said the two governments are working closely on the issue, aimed at stopping harassment of the poor Bangladeshi workers in the island nation.

The minister, now on a three-day visit to Bangladesh, said his government has planned new laws to ensure basic minimum salary for the migrant workers and is working on a raft of regulations to protect migrant workers' rights.

On Sunday the two nations --- both members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) --- have signed a memorandum of understanding with a view to protecting the rights of Bangladeshi workers in the Maldives.

"We want to make our rules and regulations in such a way so that the migrant workers are not cheated by any fake company or harassed by employer and enjoy all rights like a Maldivian worker," the minister said.

"The Maldives, which has a wide scope of employment, is a highly expensive country where Bangladeshi worker's earning is very low, as they are unskilled," he said, urging Dhaka to send skilled labours to his country.

He said the Maldives, which has the highest per capita income among the eight SAARC nations, now intends to recruit professionals like doctors, nurses, and teachers from Bangladesh.

Naseem said his small country is also keen to import construction materials and jute products from Bangladesh. Dhaka can also export sea-food, vegetable, fresh water fishes, garment items, medicines, herbal and poultry products.

"Bangladesh can open factory outlets in our country for exporting its garment items, which will be attractive to foreign tourists visiting the Maldives and our local people," he said.

The Maldives --- home to the world's some of the world's best luxury resorts --- earns 70 per cent of its foreign exchange from tourism industry.

The minister said his country can export Tuna fish and Sushi for the Japanese community and tourists in Bangladesh, once the tourism industry starts thriving here.

Naseem said connectivity is the key hurdle to increase trade with Bangladesh while lack of regional cooperation among the SAARC countries has kept the region below the expected level of economic development.

"I urge the SAARC nations to open up their borders for economic development of the region," the minister said, adding the intra-regional trade among the SAARC nations makes up only about three per cent of their total annual trade.

He said his country initially wants to import construction materials such as sand from Bangladesh. "Once we can start importing construction materials, it will be easier to import other products through ships," he said. (FE)

Bangladesh has to pay high freight cost compared to India and Sri Lanka as the ships from Chittagong carry goods via Colombo.

The Maldives has made tremendous progress in beach tourism which can be a major area of cooperation between Male and Dhaka, said Naseem.

This year the island nation expects arrival of one million tourists, most from China and Europe.