Bangladesh PM Hasina orders action against illegal migrants along with traffickers

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has ordered officials to act against those trying to migrate illegally, along with the crackdown on human traffickers.

She issued the order while on a visit to the labour and employment ministry on Sunday.

“Steps will have to be taken against those who are migrating illegally along with those smuggling them because they are hurting the goodwill of our country,” she said.

Her comments followed fresh global concern over migration of Bangladesh nationals seeking jobs abroad, and Rohingyas, fleeing persecution in Myanmar, using offshore routes.

Hasina expressed disappointment over the migration of Bangladeshis by risking their lives.

“The unfortunate thing is people are leaving for an uncertain destination by paying the smugglers even after being provided support,” she said.

“Why are they doing this?” she asked rhetorically.

“It’s not that all of them are fleeing poverty. It seems that they are chasing a golden deer. They think going abroad will bring much money,” the prime minister said.

Earlier, in May, a mass grave of Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants was found in Thailand, the first stop on the most common trafficking route used by criminals.

Later, the Thai crackdown on illegal migrants led traffickers abandon boats carrying thousands of Rohingyas and Bangladeshis between the Andaman Sea and the Straits of Malacca. More than 3,000 of the boat people were rescued.

Prime Minister Hasina said the trend to migrate illegally was like an ‘infectious disease’.

“People are getting mentally ill,” she said.

She advised youths not to pay smugglers and do something in the country with that money.

She ordered the officials of the labour and employment ministry to conduct campaign against this trend.

Malaysia and Indonesia have responded to the global call to shelter the migrants stranded on boats and send them back to their countries.

Bangladesh government has also taken step to bring them back through the International Organisation for Migration.