‘In past two years, 63 migrant workers have returned mentally ill’

In the last two years at least 63 migrants, of them 58 female workers, returned to the country in a "mentally ill" state, according to Brac Migration Programme.

Shariful Hasan, head of Brac Migration Programme, said with support from Prabashi Kalyan Desk and on-duty police at the airport they made sure these migrants could return to their families.

Brac has also provided psychosocial counselling to at least 3,000 returnees so far, Shariful said in a statement issued today.

A team of 15 counsellors and a teacher of Dhaka University's Clinical Psychology department provided the returnees with counselling, he said.

In the last one month, some 11 migrant workers returned home in a mentally unstable condition, he added. And in the latest such development, two female migrant workers returned from Jordan and United Arab Emirates today.

Armed Police members at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport handed over the Jordan-returnee to the Prabashi Kalyan Desk, set up by expatriates' welfare ministry at the airport. Officials of the desk later transferred her to Brac for her return to family members.

Brac was also given the responsibility to help reunite the UAE-returnee with her family members.

Shariful said people involved in the labour migration sector have to give more importance on such return of migrant workers.

Both government and non-government organisations have to come forward with joint initiatives in this regard, he added.