Bangladesh to pay migrant workers in Saudi Arabia Tk 25,000 for hotel quarantine

The government has announced a Tk 25,000 subsidy for each Bangladeshi migrant workers travelling to Saudi Arabia to help them quarantine at hotels there.

The expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment ministry made the announcement on Sunday, saying that the expatriates who have travelled to or are travelling to the Gulf kingdom between May 20 and Jun 30 will get the funds.

As per Saudi rules to prevent the spread the coronavirus amid the pandemic, Bangladeshis must quarantine at hotels there for seven days at their own expense upon arrival.

Bangladesh, depending much on the money remitted by the expatriates, has decided to ease the burden on the workers by subsidising the hotel quarantine cost through the Wage Earners’ Welfare Trust Board under expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment ministry.

To apply for the funds the workers will need to submit forms available on the websites of the ministry, board or the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training, or expatriates’ welfare desks at the airports in Bangladesh.

With the form, they will have to submit photocopies of smartcard issued by the BMET or immigration clearance card, first four pages of passport, visa, air ticket and hotel booking record.

Those who have already travelled to Saudi Arabia and completed quarantine, or are in quarantine, can also submit the form via post through the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh or the consulate in Jeddah.