Migration as a livelihood strategy of the poor : the Bangladesh case

The views and opinions expressed in this paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily correspond to the views or policies of the Department for International Development (DFID), UK. SUMMARY This paper examines the experiences of the government, private sector, and civil society in managing international emigration from Bangladesh. The paper outlines complex processes of labour migration. It identifies where policy interventions may act to make international migration an important livelihood strategy for poor people while ensuring that migrant workers receive maximum protection both at home and abroad. It describes the extent, nature and types of both short and long term international migration. In the past 25 years, Bangladesh has experienced positive economic and social changes. Nonetheless, it remains among the least developed countries. Historically, migration has been a common livelihood strategy of Bangladeshi people and since the 18th century, emigration from Bengal has had a direct correlation with colonialism. Today, most long-term or permanent emigration is to the UK or US. Over time, strict immigration policies in western countries have limited further emigration from Bangladesh. During the 1970s, the labour markets in the Middle East offered new scope for Bangladeshi migrant labour. Later, such migration also expanded to the newly industrialised countries of South East Asia. Short-term contract migration to the Middle East and South East Asia has become the dominant form of migration from Bangladesh. Since 1976 to 2002 more than 3 million Bangladeshis have migrated overseas for employment. Over the past two years, migration has declined. Substantial increases in the cost of migration and stiff competition from new sending countries have recently led to a decline in economic migration. Determinants of both short and long-term migration are complex. Migration from Bangladesh occurs as a result of many macro and micro level factors representing economic, social, and catalytic realities. According to official figures short term migrants from Bangladesh are predominantly male; females account for only 1%. The Bangladesh government has banned certain categories of female labour from independent emigration but many choose to do so through unofficial channels. The number of female migrants is therefore likely to be substantially higher than official estimates. Official women migrants work as professionals, skilled and unskilled. Bangladeshi males mostly work as semi and unskilled labourers, while some work as professionals and skilled workers. The Bangladesh Bank data on remittance flows to Bangladesh show an annual growth of 10% for the …