With the lure of better job in Europe, a total of 557 Bangladeshis were trafficked in last 10 years of which 63 per cent was held captive in Libya, according to a study.
The study also said that 79 per cent of them experienced physical torture while only 11 per cent got job.
Even though Bangladeshis are held hostage in Libya and money is extorted from their families, the trend of crossing the Mediterranean Sea and going to Europe via Libya continues, it added.
However, 144 irregular Bangladeshi nationals, held at a detention centre in the Libyan capital of Tripoli, returned home on Friday morning, sources at the foreign ministry said.
BRAC, a non-governmental organisation, has recently revealed the findings of the study. It collected the data from the repatriated victims on 50 types of insightful findings regarding route, financial situation, torture and others.
In the past decade, Bangladesh has been at top ten of the list of the countries where people have crossed the Mediterranean Sea aiming to reach Europe, seeking better opportunities abroad. On their way to Italy illegally via Libya, boats carrying illegal migrant workers often capsize in the Mediterranean Sea.
According to UNHCR, 2.5 million people from various countries crossed the sea on their way to Europe during the period between 2015 and June last year. About 22,000 people, including many Bangladeshis, drowned in the sea.
Besides on February 15, nine Bangladeshis lost their lives in a boat capsize on their way from Libya while 26 Bangladeshis were rescued in injured condition.
Study findings
The study conducted by BRAC Migration Programme revealed that the people mostly aged between 26 and 40 are attempting to enter Europe. Most of them hail from Madaripur, Shariatpur, Faridpur, Sylhet, Sunamganj, Munshiganj, Noakhali, Brahmanbaria, and Cumilla.
The study also highlighted that the vast majority of trafficked Bangladeshis--551 out of 557--did not get the promised job on their arrival at the destinations. Only 36 (11.49) respondents confirmed that they actually obtained the job as initially promised.
In terms of the route taken to reach Libya, the most commonly used route was the 'Dhaka-Dubai-Egypt-Libya’ (21.15 per cent) route, followed by ‘Dhaka-UAE-Egypt-Libya’ (13.08 per cent) route. Besides, ‘Dhaka-Istanbul-Dubai-Libya, ‘Dhaka-Qatar-Libya’, ‘Dhaka-Dubai-Syria-Libya’ are also used to enter while few people went directly to Libya from Dhaka.
The study indicates that 358 (63.02 per cent) of the respondents were held captive in the destination countries while 441 (79.17 per cent) reported that they experienced physical torture and 379 (68.04 per cent from Libya) faced restrictions on their movements in the destination countries.
Besides, 124 (22.26 per cent) trafficked survivors mentioned receiving only one meal per day while 181 (32.50 per cent) stated they received two meals daily.
Regarding their means of migration, a notable number of trafficked survivors (314) (56.37 per cent) undertook the journey abroad with self-funding, and 129 (23.16 per cent) took financial support from their families, indicating the desperation and determination to seek better opportunities abroad to earn more.
BRAC’s associate director Shariful Hasan (Migration and Youth Initiatives Programme) said, “People from all districts of Bangladesh do not try to go to Europe in this way. Basically people from specific areas go to Europe in this way. Our research revealed that brokers are showing parents and young people lure job in Europe which is not real.”
“So, everyone should be aware at first. Law enforcement forces should conduct coordinated drives to identify local brokers and human trafficking groups in the area. Particularly, money transactions should be found.
“Internationally, it should be vocal against the international human trafficking gangs that exist in Libya or other countries. Stability in Libya, Syria, and Afghanistan is also important there. Or the people there will try to enter Europe to save their lives and the human traffickers will include irregular migrators from other countries like Bangladesh. So collective action should be taken against this human trafficking,” he stressed.
