Welfare fee increased for Bangladeshi migrant workers

The “welfare fee” payable by workers going abroad for employment when obtaining their immigration clearance has been raised.

The fee, which was previously Tk 3,500, has been raised by Tk 2,000 to Tk 5,500.

The Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment issued a circular in this regard on Sunday.

According to the circular, the welfare fee—collected from workers going abroad, those already abroad, or at airports—has been revised to Tk 5,500 in line with the expansion and increase in the scope of welfare services for expatriate workers, to ensure their protection and overall welfare, and to adjust the fee with the market value of the US dollar.

Shariful Islam, deputy director of the Expatriate Welfare Desk at the Wage Earners’ Welfare Board at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, told bdnews24.com that the new welfare fee will take effect from Oct 1.

In 2015, the government set the welfare fee for people going abroad at Tk 3,500.

Workers are required to pay Tk 1,000 as an insurance fee in addition to the welfare fee. Previously, the BMET smart card was issued for Tk 500, but it is now provided free of charge to outbound workers.

Registered expatriate workers and their families receive a range of government benefits under the welfare fee and social protection scheme.

For example, if a worker dies abroad, a Tk 35,000 cheque is provided for burial and transportation expenses after the body arrives at Dhaka, Chattogram, or Sylhet international airport and the necessary documents have been verified.

The deceased worker’s family also receives a one-time grant of Tk 300,000 as financial assistance.

The services also include medical assistance for sick expatriate workers, educational stipends for their children, and overall monitoring, including maintaining expatriate worker records through the Wage Earners’ Welfare Board’s database.

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