Aspirant expats won't need ministry's approval to go abroad anymore: Asif Nazrul
“There is a lot of suffering in sending expatriate workers abroad. It takes a lot of time. We have investigated and found that if expatriates want to go abroad, approval is required at three levels. One is the relevant embassy, the ministry and BMET," said Asif
Aspirant expatriates will no longer need to obtain approval from the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment to go abroad for work, Adviser Asif Nazrul said today (24 September).
"From now on, only the embassies of the [foreign] country concerned and the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET) will take care of the matter," the expatriates' welfare adviser announced in a press briefing today.
The ministry took the decision in a bid to reduce delays and sufferings in the process of sending manpower abroad, he said.
"There is a lot of suffering in sending expatriate workers abroad. It takes a lot of time. We have investigated and found that if expatriates want to go abroad, approval is required at three levels. One is the relevant embassy, the ministry and BMET," said Asif.
"But from now on, the ministry will no longer play a role in the process," he stated.
The adviser said the new initiative will shorten the duration to get the approvals by 15-30 days and reduce the suffering workers face. "If the preparation time for them to go abroad took three months, now we expect it to take two to two and a half months."
Meanwhile, the adviser also said remitters will get VIP service at the airports when they arrive in Bangladesh.
"We will provide them everything that a VIP gets at the airport, except the use of the lounge," he said during a briefing at the meeting room of the expatriate ministry.
Nazrul said when a VIP goes to an airport, they often have someone to carry their luggage and stay with them through the check-in and immigration procedures. These services will be provided to the migrant workers.
"Initially, we will focus on workers in the Middle East. Later, we will look into migrant workers in Europe. A worker travelling to and from the Middle East will get VIP treatment. We are thinking about allowing the use of the lounge later," he said.