Migrants to get cash, vaccination

The expatriates' welfare and overseas employment ministry has decided to provide Tk 20,000-25,000 each for all Saudi Arabia-bound migrants as hotel booking costs for institutional quarantine.

"The ministry made the decision at a meeting held last Thursday to reduce the huge financial burden on migrants," Mohammad Rasheduzzaman, assistant personal secretary of the expatriates' welfare minister said.

The ministry also decided to administer Covid-19 vaccines to all departing expatriates so that they do not have to be in the mandatory institutional quarantine in different countries, including Saudi Arabia.

"If a migrant needs Tk 40,000 for hotel booking, the ministry will give them Tk 20,000 in cash assistance. It will provide Tk 25,000 for Saudi Arabia-bound workers who need Tk 50,000 and above for hotel booking," said Rasheduzzaman.

He said financial assistance would also be provided to those who had already flown to Saudi Arabia since the authorities' new travel advisory on institutional quarantine in hotels, which came into effect on 20 May.

A person needs around Tk 60,000-70,000 to book a hotel for quarantine in Saudi Arabia, said workers bound for the oil-rich Middle East country and owners of recruiting agencies.

Officials of Saudi Arabian Airlines on 25 May announced that they could no longer help migrants with hotel bookings.

According to the Saudi Arabian travel notice, there is no need for non-residents to quarantine as well as first-time visitors who have completed the 14-day quarantine since receiving all doses of vaccination. But they must provide a certificate or proof in accordance with the requirements set by the ministry of health.

Around 40,000 expatriates are waiting to go to Saudi Arabia within the next one and a half months, according to manpower recruiters.