Manpower in an MRP mess
Overseas jobseekers, migrant workers not given visa, contract renewal for not having machine-readable passports
Hundreds of migrant workers might see their dreams of working abroad dashed because of the government's poor handling of machine-readable passports (MRPs) introduced in April, said officials and recruiting agents.The government continues issuing emergency manual passports alongside MRPs without communicating the matter to the countries that hire workers from Bangladesh.Jobseekers might be denied visas for not having MRPs. Besides, Bangladeshi expatriates could be refused renewal of resident permits for the same reason, they said.
The Department of Immigration and Passports has the capacity to issue 2,000 MRPs a day while 600 applications for MRPs are submitted to the Agargaon passport office in the capital. Such fears now loom large as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been refusing to issue visa to Bangladeshi jobseekers without MRPs for over a week. Besides, a few Bangladeshis working there had been refused renewal of resident permits for the same reason.
Of the 70 lakh Bangladeshi migrant workers, 40 lakh are in the Middle East. The major share of the $10 billion annual remittance comes from them.Wishing anonymity, an official in Bangladesh Mission in Dubai said there had been a mix-up between the mission and the UAE authorities over issuance of MRPs and emergency manual passports by Bangladesh.
The mission in a letter told the UAE immigration that Bangladeshi nationals will have MRPs from April this year.The Consulate General of Bangladesh in Dubai sent the letter to the Department of Immigration in Sharjah, UAE on June 23. The Daily Star obtained a copy of it.
"A good number of Bangladeshi nationals, who are living in the country did not possess any passports before and whose passports have already expired, have by now received MRPs and are travelling abroad with the strength of newly issued MRP. As a result, Bangladeshis who are currently coming to the UAE for new employment may have MRP," reads the letter.
Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira) Secretary General Ali Haider Chowdhury said he found two cases of refusal of visas by the UAE for not having the names of the parents or guardians in the MRPs of jobseekers. "These are matters of grave concern," he said.Ali Haider feared that the country's overseas employment sector could be in jeopardy if the problems are not addressed urgently.
It is the UAE that has been hiring Bangladeshi workers at a time when overseas jobs are on the decline. Over seven lakh Bangladeshis now live in the UAE that hired 2.5 lakh Bangladeshi workers last year.
A high-up in Dubai Consulate General's office told The Daily Star that the UAE had earlier been irritated at the flaws in manual passports and was waiting eagerly for MRPs for long. A few jobseekers applied for visas with MRPs after it was introduced in line with an agreement with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
Others however applied for visas with emergency manual passports with validity for three years. Nazmul Quaunine, Bangladesh Ambassador in Abu Dhabi, the UAE, started refusing to issue visas to Bangladeshi jobseekers without MRPs a week back possibly because of its annoyance at the submission of photocopies of both types of passports by employers in the UAE.
"In some cases, visas were issued on our requests," he said.Nazmul said they have been trying to explain the matter to the UAE authorities.Abu Zafar, consul general in Dubai, said a few Bangladeshi expatriates were refused renewal of resident permits, a must for any foreigner to continue jobs. He told The Daily Star over the phone that they issued letters to the immigration authorities there, requesting them to renew resident permits of Bangladeshis.
Officials at the expatriates' welfare ministry also mentioned some "technical deficiency" in the MRPs issued by Bangladesh.They said the names of legal guardians are not there in the MRPs. They could be read only by machines. "But the Middle East countries want the names of legal guardians in the passports," said an official at the ministry, preferring anonymity.
Jobseekers have to send photocopies of passports to their employers, who submit those to the immigration authorities for visas.Many Gulf nations might refuse visas as the names of legal guardians are not printed in the MRPs, he said.India issues MRPs with names and addresses of legal guardians on the last page. "We could easily follow it," he said.
The home ministry had not consulted them before introducing MRPs, the official said.Abdul Mubid, director general of Department of Immigration and Passports, said they are aware of the problems. "I would suggest that the names of the guardians and their addresses should be printed on the last page of MRPs," he said."But, if someone wants emergency manual passports, we are bound to issue it."
http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=145278
The Department of Immigration and Passports has the capacity to issue 2,000 MRPs a day while 600 applications for MRPs are submitted to the Agargaon passport office in the capital. Such fears now loom large as the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been refusing to issue visa to Bangladeshi jobseekers without MRPs for over a week. Besides, a few Bangladeshis working there had been refused renewal of resident permits for the same reason.
Of the 70 lakh Bangladeshi migrant workers, 40 lakh are in the Middle East. The major share of the $10 billion annual remittance comes from them.Wishing anonymity, an official in Bangladesh Mission in Dubai said there had been a mix-up between the mission and the UAE authorities over issuance of MRPs and emergency manual passports by Bangladesh.
The mission in a letter told the UAE immigration that Bangladeshi nationals will have MRPs from April this year.The Consulate General of Bangladesh in Dubai sent the letter to the Department of Immigration in Sharjah, UAE on June 23. The Daily Star obtained a copy of it.
"A good number of Bangladeshi nationals, who are living in the country did not possess any passports before and whose passports have already expired, have by now received MRPs and are travelling abroad with the strength of newly issued MRP. As a result, Bangladeshis who are currently coming to the UAE for new employment may have MRP," reads the letter.
Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira) Secretary General Ali Haider Chowdhury said he found two cases of refusal of visas by the UAE for not having the names of the parents or guardians in the MRPs of jobseekers. "These are matters of grave concern," he said.Ali Haider feared that the country's overseas employment sector could be in jeopardy if the problems are not addressed urgently.
It is the UAE that has been hiring Bangladeshi workers at a time when overseas jobs are on the decline. Over seven lakh Bangladeshis now live in the UAE that hired 2.5 lakh Bangladeshi workers last year.
A high-up in Dubai Consulate General's office told The Daily Star that the UAE had earlier been irritated at the flaws in manual passports and was waiting eagerly for MRPs for long. A few jobseekers applied for visas with MRPs after it was introduced in line with an agreement with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
Others however applied for visas with emergency manual passports with validity for three years. Nazmul Quaunine, Bangladesh Ambassador in Abu Dhabi, the UAE, started refusing to issue visas to Bangladeshi jobseekers without MRPs a week back possibly because of its annoyance at the submission of photocopies of both types of passports by employers in the UAE.
"In some cases, visas were issued on our requests," he said.Nazmul said they have been trying to explain the matter to the UAE authorities.Abu Zafar, consul general in Dubai, said a few Bangladeshi expatriates were refused renewal of resident permits, a must for any foreigner to continue jobs. He told The Daily Star over the phone that they issued letters to the immigration authorities there, requesting them to renew resident permits of Bangladeshis.
Officials at the expatriates' welfare ministry also mentioned some "technical deficiency" in the MRPs issued by Bangladesh.They said the names of legal guardians are not there in the MRPs. They could be read only by machines. "But the Middle East countries want the names of legal guardians in the passports," said an official at the ministry, preferring anonymity.
Jobseekers have to send photocopies of passports to their employers, who submit those to the immigration authorities for visas.Many Gulf nations might refuse visas as the names of legal guardians are not printed in the MRPs, he said.India issues MRPs with names and addresses of legal guardians on the last page. "We could easily follow it," he said.
The home ministry had not consulted them before introducing MRPs, the official said.Abdul Mubid, director general of Department of Immigration and Passports, said they are aware of the problems. "I would suggest that the names of the guardians and their addresses should be printed on the last page of MRPs," he said."But, if someone wants emergency manual passports, we are bound to issue it."
http://www.thedailystar.net/story.php?nid=145278
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