The Bangladeshi missions in Saudi Arabia have assisted several thousand Bangladeshi expatriate workers to ensure the maximum numbers are able to benefit from the amnesty recently announced by the Saudi government.
The missions renewed and issued passports, and confirmed travel permits for over 113,000 Bangladeshi expatriates in Saudi Arabia up until June 1.
“Our officials are working hard to provide services to all the Bangladeshis who need to stay in or get out of Saudi Arabia,” said the Additional Foreign Secretary Mustafa Kamal to the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
“At this pace, we hope to provide all the Bangladeshis with services they need by July 3,” he said.
On May 10, the kingdom announced all illegal migrant workers, would be able to apply for legal status and continue to work in Saudi Arabia, or opt to leave if they did not have an offer of employment, without having to pay any penalties.
The amnesty is valid till July 3; within which time all illegal migrant workers must update their status.
“We have dispatched enough officers to the Bangladesh missions in Saudi Arabia and will send more if needed,” Kamal said, adding “The missions have set up outposts in different locations to take consular services to the doorsteps of the Bangladeshis.”
A foreign ministry official said Saudi employers had placed more than 170,000 job offers at the Bangladesh missions to recruit Bangladeshis in the country legally.
“We have sought information from the Bangladeshi missions on how many Bangladeshis can avail of the job offers,” the official said. He said: “Placing job offers does not ensure employment for Bangladeshis as the candidates must be matched with the jobs on offer.”
The Bangladesh missions in Saudi Arabia earned around Tk400m in the form of consular fees from expatriates between May 11 and 30, the official said.
10 recruiting agencies
Saudi Arabia has provided a list of 10 recruiting agencies that can recruit workers from Bangladesh, said a foreign ministry official.
The companies are: Saudi Manpower Services Company, International Recruiting Company, Manpower Services Company, Al Jazeera Company, Sawaed Al-Inna Company, Al-Mawarid Company, Al-Ahlia Company, Al-Muttahidah Company, Mehara Company and First National Company.
“They will recruit workers for home services, private and general service employment,” the official said.
Officials in Dhaka said around two million Bangladeshis are now working in Saudi Arabia.
Figures from the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training showed that Saudi Arabia limited recruitment of workers from Bangladesh from 2008.
