Families of migrants see better living

Households having migrants are faring better than those that do not with the remittance being sent contributing significantly in reducing poverty and creating employment, says a survey of Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU).

"The benefits of international migration are distributed among non-migrant producing areas," RMMRU Founder Chairperson Prof Tasneem Siddiqui told a programme in the capital's Cirdap auditorium yesterday.

The programme on "National Civil Society Consultation on 8th GFMD 2013" was jointly organised by Manusher Jonno Foundation, RMMRU and Warbe Development Foundation. GFMD stands for Global Forum on Migration and Development, scheduled to be held in Turkey next month.

The survey was conducted on 5,084 households in 17 districts under Bangladesh's seven divisions between December 2013 and March 2014.

It said each household that had migrants received on an average of Tk 2.68 lakh as remittance last year.

Only 13 percent of the migrant-containing families live below the poverty line while it was over 80 percent for the other, it added.

Prof Tasneem said the employment was created in cultivation, poultry and livestock farming and small-scale enterprises.

"Around 30 percent of international migrant households have savings accounts whereas 18 percent of non-migrant households have savings accounts," mentioned the survey.

The migrant-containing families enjoyed better lives, living in brick houses and having access to everyday necessities, education and health, it said.

Apart from sending their children to educational institutions of a better quality, they also spent 35 percent more on private tutoring, it added.

They also had the habit of spending in social and religious rituals such as marriage, funeral and pilgrimages.

Shaheen Anam, executive director of Manusher Jonno Foundation, urged the government to include rights issues of migrants in its policies and planning and check illegal migration.

She also urged the government and the civil society members to place forth at the GFMD difficulties Bangladeshi migrants face in receiving countries.

Solidarity Centre Country Director in Bangladesh Alanjo Susan, Senior Programme Officer of International Organisation for Migration Abdusattor Esov and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation Regional Adviser for migration and development Shabarinath Nair also spoke.