A/HRC/53/26/Add.3
in such units and strengthen their capacity and skills to provide adequate and effective support
to Bangladeshi workers who may need help and assistance.
62.
The Special Rapporteur was informed that, through consular services abroad,
migrants have access to a helpline and contact points when they need assistance. This
information is meant to be available to all migrants, even at the pre-departure phase, but there
appears to be a need to raise awareness of such services.
63.
The lack of investigation and prosecution of the vast majority of human rights abuses
in countries of destination is very concerning. The Special Rapporteur urges countries of
destination to conduct a continual, thorough monitoring of the conditions of migrants,
particularly women in the domestic service sector. In so doing, it is critical to enhance
cooperation between Bangladesh and countries of destination to strengthen the protection of
the human rights of migrants.
64.
A key step to preventing such violations, as the Special Rapporteur has repeatedly
stated in several reports and in communications to Governments of countries in the Middle
East region, is to move towards the abrogation of the kafalah system. He notes the positive
move by Qatar to end the kafalah system, which is a hopeful example for others in the region.
Replicating this could enhance relations between countries of origin and countries of
destination to better protect the rights of migrant workers.
H.
Government to Government initiatives
65.
There is a stark difference in skilled migration schemes channelled through
Government to Government initiatives administered by the offices of the Bangladesh
Overseas Employment and Services Limited and the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and
Training, when compared with schemes channelled through private recruitment agents. The
former initiatives have yielded more beneficial results for migrants, due to more robust
regulation and oversight and the lower or no cost for migration. Migrants’ rights are better
protected within these schemes.
66.
Some Government to Government recruitment initiatives through memorandums of
understanding have provided better migration management solutions when the process has
proper oversight by the Governments concerned. However, private recruitment agencies are
not completely eliminated as a means of finding and obtaining aspiring migrant workers. On
the other hand, existing memorandums of understanding can also task government
institutions with finding and selecting job seekers; the Government to Government scheme
with the Republic of Korea was referred to as one such positive example. A Government to
Government scheme with Malaysia is also an example of an attempt to remove private
recruiters from the process.
67.
The Special Rapporteur notes that it is mostly migrants without skills, who are often
not engaged in Government to Government processes, that often become victims of
exploitation and abuse. At all stages of migration, the most vulnerable migrant workers are
often the very poor and those lacking education and access to important information that
could help them in the migration process.
I.
Lack of adequate data
68.
In spite of many existing research and initiatives providing much-needed information
on migration, the Special Rapporteur noted the need for more specific data on various aspects
of the migration process.
69.
The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration refers to the need to
collect and utilize accurate and disaggregated data as a foundation for evidence-based
policies, and target 17.18 of the Sustainable Development Goals requires high-quality, timely
and reliable data to be disaggregated by income, gender, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status,
disability, geographical location and other relevant characteristics.
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