Over 1,600 out of some 37,000 Bangladeshi migrant workers forced to
flee Libya earlier this year have received reintegration grants of
Taka 50,000 (USD 680) each from the Bangladesh government through
IOM.

The grant programme, which is managed by IOM and funded by a USD
40 million loan from the World Bank, began in early July with a
document verification phase to establish eligibility for the
grants.

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An IOM mass information campaign in print and electronic media
and via SMS alerted returnees hoping to receive the grant to call a
24-hour helpline and request an appointment to present their
documents in person.

"Over 23,500 people were given appointments during July and over
1,600 have now been cleared by the verification hub in Dhaka. After
verification it takes about a week for the money to be transferred
to their bank accounts," says IOM Bangladesh Chief of Mission Rabab
Fatima. "At this rate we hope to complete payments to all 37,000
returnees by mid-October," she adds.

Since late February, over a million people, including almost
300,000 migrant workers from various countries have been forced to
flee the conflict in Libya. IOM and its partners have helped more
than 156,000 migrants to return home from neighbouring countries,
notably to Chad, Egypt, Niger, Mali, Ghana, Niger and Sudan.

For further information, please contact:

Asif Munier at IOM Dhaka

Tel: + +880.1714114659

E-mail: "mailto:amunier@iom.int">amunier@iom.int

or

Naziha Sultana

Tel: +880.2.9889765.

E-mail: "mailto:nsultana@iom.int">nsultana@iom.int