The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has commended Bangladesh for its leadership in promoting safe, orderly, and regular migration, reaffirming its commitment to strengthening cooperation with the country on migration governance and migrant protection.
The remarks were made by Dr. Laura Tomm Bonde, the newly appointed Chief of Mission for IOM Bangladesh, during a courtesy visit to Bangladesh’s Minister of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, Ariful Haque Choudhury, in Dhaka.
During the meeting, Bonde congratulated Bangladesh for its role as one of the champion countries implementing the United Nations Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. She praised the government’s efforts to improve migration management and highlighted the progress made in promoting safe migration, supporting the reintegration of returning migrants, raising public awareness, and advancing women’s empowerment.
The new IOM mission chief also noted that many of the commitments outlined in the current government’s election manifesto are closely aligned with IOM’s global priorities. She assured the minister that IOM would continue providing technical and operational support to help Bangladesh build on its achievements.
Minister Ariful welcomed Bonde to Bangladesh and thanked IOM for its long-standing partnership with the government. He praised the organization’s technical assistance in developing the country’s migration policies and implementing the National Action Plan under the Global Compact for Migration.
The minister said Bangladesh and IOM would continue collaborating on the development and implementation of a National Diaspora Policy and a Reintegration Policy for Returning Migrants. He added that these initiatives are designed to improve support for Bangladeshis working abroad and to help returning migrants successfully rebuild their lives at home.
Highlighting the government’s modernization efforts, Ariful said his ministry is strengthening its institutional capacity through digital transformation. He explained that migration services are being upgraded under the OpenID Foundation (OIDF) Framework, which supports secure digital identity verification, user authentication, and information sharing across different government systems.
He also announced that Bangladesh is introducing a comprehensive Migrant Information and Service Management System to modernize migration services and improve support for migrant workers before departure, while overseas, and upon their return.
The minister further emphasized the government’s commitment to continuing key migration and development projects, including the Diaspora Project funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Recovery and Advancement of Informal Sector Employment (RAISE) Project supported by the World Bank and Bangladesh’s Wage Earners’ Welfare Board, as well as migration-related initiatives financed by the European Union.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening their long-term partnership to promote safe overseas employment, improve migration information systems, protect migrant workers, and support sustainable national development.
Why did IOM praise Bangladesh?
IOM praised Bangladesh for its leadership in implementing the UN Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration and for making significant progress in safe migration, migrant reintegration, digital transformation of migration services, and support for overseas workers.