Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry officials Sunday said the migrant labourers who registered their names for legalisation in Malaysia would be legalised.
Those who travelled to Malaysia on student and tourist visas and stayed there to work, thereby turning illegal would not be legalised, they said.
Travelling on student and tourist visas to Malaysia, many Bangladeshis stayed in Malaysia and turned illegal.
They would not made legal, expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment Secretary Zafar Ahmed Khan told the Dhaka Tribune at his office Sunday.
The secretary said: “During the recent visit to Malaysia, we held meeting with the Malaysian Interior Ministry and requested the authorities to legalise the workers who registered their names.”
Malaysian authorities assured us that it would consider the matter, Zafar said, adding that 2,67,000 Bangladeshi migrant workers registered their names during the amnesty declared by the Malaysian government in 2011.
Ofthe 2,67,000migrant labourers, around 60,000 could not become legalised for various reasons including cheating by a section of middlemen.
On September 1, the Malaysian government started crackdown on illegal foreign workers and detained over 400 Bangladeshis.
Following requests from employers, the government eased the drive.
Malaysian home minister recently said the illegal foreign workers would get chance again to become legalised.
