IOM and the Bangladeshi government have opened a Migrant Welfare
Desk in the arrival lounge of Dhaka international airport.

The desk, which is an initiative of the Bureau of Manpower
Employment and Training, under the Ministry of the Expatriates'
Welfare and Overseas Employment, follows the establishment of a
similar facility in the departure lounge and is funded by the
United Kingdom's Department for International Development
(DFID).

Giving priority to women migrants, staff at the desk will help
migrant workers to complete their disembarkation/embarkation cards,
assist with immigration, security and customs clearance
formalities, and provide information on remittances, local
transport, privileged citizen benefits and other
issues.  

Speaking at the opening of the desk, Adviser to the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Welfare and Overseas Employment Dr.
Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury said that the government was committed to
ensuring the welfare of migrant workers, as remittances are the
country's largest source of foreign exchange.

"To sustain and enhance benefits of migration, it is imperative
that we create an environment that supports and protects migrant
workers," he said.

IOM Regional Representative for South Asia Rabab Fatima, who
also attended the opening, said that IOM fully supported the
initiative and noted the need for similar services at Bangladesh's
two other international airports – Sylhet and Chittagong.

For further information please contact:

Asif Munier

IOM Dhaka

Tel: +880 2 8814604

      +880 2 8817699

      +880 171 3033261

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

or

Tanya Huq Shahryar

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