Repatriation of thousands of stranded migrant workers, including Bangladeshis, may be suspended temporarily from Saturday for shortage of funds, high-ups of International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Geneva and in Tunisia said yesterday.
If the repatriation halts, nearly 7,000 Bangladeshis will be left in uncertainty at Choucha camp, according to aid workers.
The IOM has been overseeing repatriation of stranded Bangladeshis from the Djerba international airport. Their number came down to 7,000 from 15,000 over the last one week.
Although fewer in number, Bangladeshi migrants are entering Choucha from Libya every day.
“Over the last ten days as we continued repatriating thousands of people, we warned the international community about our rapidly diminishing funds and asked for more money for the operation,” said Jean Philippe Chauzy, chief spokesperson of IOM in Geneva.
“There has not been any response from anyone so far. We really do not want to stop this momentum of repatriation, but we are forced to," Chauzy said. High-ups of IOM and the UNHCR, which jointly run a cell at the Choucha camp, will meet the donors in Geneva today, said the IOM spokesperson.
“If we do not get any funds soon, we shall either have to drastically reduce the operation or temporarily suspend it,” Chauzy said.
International aid workers, volunteers and Tunisian officials have expressed surprise at Bangladesh government's role in the repatriation.
They are working relentlessly to manage the Choucha camp of 17,000 stranded workers, including 7,000 Bangladeshis.
“From the very beginning we heard Bangladesh is diverting Biman aircraft to pick up its people. In reality, there is not a word from anyone about this,” said an UNHCR official in Choucha.
IOM officials at the Djerba airport said four Bangladeshi officials were there to oversee the repatriation and maintain liaison with migrant workers.
But in reality, these officials keep aloof from the angry workers, who were badly treated by the Bangladeshi Embassy in Libya, said an IOM official at the airport.
“We heard about a secretary of the expatriates' welfare ministry from Bangladesh visiting the camp but he never talked to any aid worker,” said Jumbe Omari, the IOM spokesperson in Choucha.
Jan-de-Wilde, senior adviser to the IOM in Choucha, said there is a grave resentment among the stranded Bangladeshis over the treatment they got from their own government.
“The government of Bangladesh once talked about sending Biman aircraft to pick up its nationals. It has not happened. They are quiet now,” Jan-de-Wilde said.
“As far as we are concerned, we are suspending the operation from Saturday, if there is no response from the donors by Friday,” he said.
Against the backdrop of the ongoing Libyan crisis, the IOM has been running operation in four border areas in three countries -- Egypt-Libya border of Saloum, Tunisia-Libya border of Ras Jdir and Niger-Libya border of Dirkou.
The organisation has directly financed repatriation of over 15,000 people from different countries and also paid for air tickets of nearly 3,000 people since February.
The IOM initially started the programme with $27 million it received from developed countries. With this fund, it also gave cash to migrant workers, who were sent back home.
News Source: The Daily Star