Govt, UN launch joint programme to support migrant returnees

Bangladesh and UN begin reintegration initiative for migrant returnees

Bdbusinessdaily.com – Bangladesh has launched a new joint programme with the United Nations aimed at helping migrant workers and returnees rebuild their lives after coming home. The initiative is designed to improve access to social support, strengthen inclusion and create more coordinated pathways for people facing difficult circumstances after migration.

Backed by the UN Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fund, the 30-month programme will focus especially on vulnerable women, children and migrants affected by crises. Its central purpose is to ensure that return does not leave people isolated from employment opportunities, services, family support or community connections.

The Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment will lead implementation for the Bangladesh government. The agreement was signed on 8 October by Shahriar Kader Siddiky, secretary of the Economic Relations Division, and Laura Tomm Bonde, Chief of Mission for the International Organization for Migration in Bangladesh.

Support beyond the journey home

Migration often involves more than departure and arrival. For people returning after financial hardship, family separation, unsafe conditions or other pressures, resettling can require practical assistance as well as emotional and social support. The new programme seeks to address those needs through a system that links returnees with appropriate services and strengthens the institutions responsible for delivering them.

“Migration is not a linear process. Returning home should be the beginning of sustainable recovery for those in need with the necessary support structures in place.”

Laura Tomm Bonde said sustainable reintegration must work at several levels: for individuals, within communities and through the broader systems that shape access to services and opportunities. She said the participating UN agencies would combine their expertise to help Bangladesh continue developing a coordinated reintegration environment centred on migrants’ needs.

“Through this Joint Programme, the UN will bring their expertise together to support the Government of Bangladesh to continue building a coordinated and migrant-centred reintegration ecosystem.”

The programme will support public institutions and gender-responsive civil society organisations in identifying returnees who may be particularly vulnerable. It will also help connect them with reintegration services that respond to different needs and circumstances, including those of women and children.

Planned assistance and local coordination

Key activities will include personalised reintegration planning, stronger capacity for organisations providing services, and targeted pilot initiatives. These pilots are expected to cover labour-market integration, financial literacy, psychosocial support and outreach within communities.

The programme will also address discriminatory social norms that can make reintegration harder for some returnees. This is particularly relevant where migrants may encounter stigma, limited information about available assistance or barriers to taking part in local economic and social life after returning home.

District-level coordination is another major element. Stronger links between government offices, civil society groups and UN agencies can make it easier for returnees to find the right point of contact and avoid being left to navigate fragmented services on their own. Better coordination can also help ensure that available support reaches people with the greatest need.

Shahriar Kader Siddiky said returning migrants and their families require practical services, opportunities and reliable systems that allow them to restore their lives and make a positive contribution in their communities.

“Returnees and their families need services, opportunities, and systems that help them rebuild their lives and contribute to their communities.”

He said coordinated work by the government and UN agencies would strengthen this support, while emphasising the importance of creating opportunities for migrants after their return. He also highlighted the need for closer cooperation among government bodies, UN organisations and civil society groups to build shared resources and effective partnerships that promote safer migration.

UN agencies join the 30-month programme

The effort brings together the International Organization for Migration, the International Labour Organization, the UN Population Fund, the United Nations Children’s Fund and UN Women. Their combined participation reflects the wide range of challenges that can affect migrants and returnees, including employment, family welfare, health-related support, protection concerns and gender equality.

By looking beyond immediate return and toward medium- and long-term needs, the programme places reintegration within a broader social protection framework. The approach recognises that a durable return is not defined simply by arriving back in Bangladesh, but by whether people can regain stability, access support and participate meaningfully in their communities.

Officials attending the launch included AKM Sohel, additional secretary and chief of the UN Wing at the Economic Relations Division; Saiful Haque Chowdhury, additional secretary at the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment; and Kazi Shahjahan, joint secretary of the UN Wing of the Economic Relations Division. Representatives from the Economic Relations Division, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Youth and Sports and other government agencies also attended.