Year after year, migration costs continue to rise in Bangladesh.
Although the government set official fees in 2016 for travel to 16 countries, prospective workers routinely spend far more than those limits.
Studies and surveys show actual costs run several times higher, with a large share siphoned off by middlemen and labour-market syndicates. Earnings lag far behind expenses, leaving migrants struggling to recover what they pay.
Against this backdrop, International Migrants Day and National Expatriates Day were observed on Thursday. This year’s theme was: “Taking skills abroad, building the nation with remittances.”
Costs outweigh earnings
In 2020, the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), with support from the International Labour Organization, conducted a survey on migration costs for expatriate workers.
The survey found that a Bangladeshi worker needs to spend Tk416,789 to go abroad. In contrast, the average monthly income stands at Tk23,693—meaning it takes more than 17 months on average to recover the migration cost.
The report further states that for skilled male migrants, the cost rises to Tk427,217, with an average monthly income of Tk29,477. For unskilled migrants, the expense increases further to Tk477,927.
For domestic workers, the cost of going abroad is Tk118,964. With a monthly salary of Tk16,678, it takes them nearly seven months to recover that amount.
It also notes that recruitment costs for male migrant workers are nearly four times higher than those for female migrant workers.
Between 2015 and 2018, most female migrants were employed as domestic workers, and migration costs for women in domestic work were significantly lower—sometimes even zero.
As a result, during that period, recruitment costs for female migrant workers were lower than those for male workers.
The data further show that migrants travelling from Bangladesh to Singapore face the highest costs—Tk574,241, which is Tk300,000 more than the government-fixed fee.
The cost of migrating to Saudi Arabia stands at Tk436,366, more than Tk250,000 above the official rate. Malaysia ranks third on the list of highest costs, followed by Qatar in fourth place and Oman in fifth.
How much it costs to go where
In 2016, the government fixed migration costs for various destinations: Singapore (including training) at Tk262,270; Saudi Arabia at Tk165,000; Malaysia at Tk160,000 for construction work and Tk140,000 for agriculture; Libya at Tk145,780; Bahrain at Tk97,780; the United Arab Emirates at Tk107,780; Kuwait at Tk106,780; Oman at Tk100,780; Iraq at Tk129,540; Qatar at Tk100,780; Jordan at Tk102,780; Egypt at Tk120,780; Russia at Tk166,640; the Maldives at Tk115,780; Brunei at Tk120,780; and Lebanon at Tk117,780.
For Malaysia-bound workers, however, the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment set the migration cost at Tk78,990 in 2021 under a bilateral agreement.
Migration costs vs the reality
Investigations and interviews with returning migrants show a stark gap between policy and practice.
A male worker spends Tk500,000–900,000 to go to Saudi Arabia, while migration to Malaysia costs Tk350,000–500,000. In recent cases, the figure has climbed to Tk600,000.
Beyond official fees, migrants pay for applications, visas, work permits, medical tests, training, airfare, advance income tax, skills and language tests, Wage Earners’ Welfare fees, agency service charges, insurance, immigration tax, VAT, and other incidental expenses.
The heaviest burden comes from hidden costs: an estimated 78% of total migration expenses end up in the pockets of middlemen, illegal brokers, and sub-agents at home and abroad.
Visa trading drives up migration costs
Masud Alam of Comilla, who recently returned from Saudi Arabia, alleged that he had to pay 6,500 riyals to his employer to renew his work permit even before it expired.
Despite this, he was arrested by the police. Although the employer was contacted to secure his release, there was no response.
The police eventually sent him back to Bangladesh empty-handed.
Masud returned home along with Sajal Ahmed of Faridpur. Sajal had gone to Saudi Arabia just two and a half months earlier, spending Tk370,000.
“If I could at least earn back what I spent, I might have found some comfort,” he said.
Visa trading is not limited to Saudi Arabia. In many labour markets, visas are bought from different countries and sold to migrant workers at inflated prices, pushing migration costs up several times over. In many Middle Eastern countries, the practice remains widespread.
A study conducted this year by the Ovibashi Kormi Unnayan Programme (OKUP) found that migration costs are higher under so-called “free visas” than under regular work visas.
For example, while the government-fixed migration cost for Kuwait is Tk106,780, migration under a “free visa” costs Tk733,303, and even a regular work visa costs Tk619,167.
Similar patterns were found in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Dubai, where workers pay three to four times more than the official rates.
The study also shows that even after spending large sums to travel on so-called free visas, workers must pay additional costs at the destination. These include work permit fees, expenses to secure a new job, and food costs. Altogether, a worker spends Tk722,700 to ensure employment, pushing the average migration cost to about Tk650,000.
OKUP Chairman Shakirul Islam said Bangladeshi workers bear some of the highest migration costs. An analysis of data from 1,084 migrants found that 51% travelled abroad on so-called free visas, while 49% used regular work visas.
“The term ‘free visa’ is misleading. It is neither free nor legally recognised. Instead, it has emerged as a tool for exploitative networks, driving up migration costs, pushing families into debt, and reducing national remittance inflows,” he said.
Impact of reducing migration costs
The BBS survey highlights that lowering migration costs could boost remittances and accelerate Bangladesh’s development. It would also protect workers who go abroad in debt or face exploitation. Costs are highest when employers in both sending and receiving countries are involved.
Unskilled workers face higher costs and greater risks, reducing remittances’ impact. Many workers, unable to find good jobs at home, spend excessively to reach richer nations. High recruitment costs stem not only from procedural complexity but also from failures in ensuring workers’ rights and protection in both countries.
Dr Jalal Uddin Sikder, a researcher at North South University, says high migration costs are a key reason workers rely on hundi for remittance.
“Workers spend four to five times the official cost to go abroad, often borrowing at high interest or selling assets. From the day they start work, they plan to send money home. Because currency is easier to exchange through Hundi, they prefer it. Hundi operators even provide hand-to-hand service, making it easier for workers. Sending money through legal channels, however, requires long travel and more effort,” he explains.
Shariful Islam Hasan, associate director of Brac Migration Program, says reducing migration costs is impossible without controlling middlemen.
He told Dhaka Tribune: “Migration costs from Bangladesh are among the highest globally. Although the government sets official fees for each country, in practice, workers pay many times more. Middlemen operate abroad, and multiple levels of brokers exist at home, pushing costs to Tk800,000–1,000,000. The process is fraught with hardship—from passport issuance to recruitment agency scams, false job information, overpriced visas, medical tests, and government approvals.”
He added: “Once abroad, workers face harsh conditions, inhumane labor, unhealthy living, employer fraud, and abuse. Our migration process still relies on brokers, which drives costs up and earnings down. The key to lowering costs is to reform the migration process and train skilled workers.”
Shariful noted that in the Middle East, buying and selling visas is a punishable offense. Yet, whenever Bangladeshi workers visit these markets, visa trading begins. This practice inflates migration costs sharply, making visa trade one of the main reasons for high expenses in the region.