REMA(K)ER

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a large number of migrant workers have been forced to return early or involuntarily to Bangladesh. More than 400,000 migrant workers have returned to Bangladesh between April and December 2020 due to COVID 19. Returning migrants face a variety of challenges when they return home, including lack of job opportunities and limited access to social safety nets. Even the households depending on remittances become more vulnerable because of the pandemic and global economic slowdown as well. Many came back highly vulnerable, with 74% of them leaving behind a significant amount of earnings and lost wages (RMMRU, policy brief 30)^[1]. A significant number of returning migrants are in debt and facing financial difficulties, wage theft, exploitation and experiencing both physical and mental health crises, etc. The women migrants specifically become the victims of social stigma, abuse and torture as well. To contribute significantly towards the reintegration and to reduce the vulnerabilities of the migrants, RMMRU undertook a comprehensive approach under ‘REMA(K)ER: Returning Migrants Achieve Economic Resilience and Social Cohesion within their Communities’ supported by IOM. This project is designed to reduce vulnerability where effective remittance management is essential for fostering economic resilience. It engages the returning migrants in livelihood support for economic reintegration as well as improve social cohesion in the community. The livelihood development initiative under this project is being implemented with an innovative approach by using digital tools at the local level in the context of Bangladesh. It is also designed around the proposition that asset diversification is an important component of reducing vulnerability and that remittance management is key to building economic resilience. Besides this, the project is aimed to strengthen the sense of social cohesion among communities to ensure a speedy and healthy recovery from the pandemic.

Project Area: Kalihati Upazila, Tangail

Goal: The goal of the project is to ensure the returning migrants and their families contribution to the strengthening of social cohesion and achievement of economic resilience within their communities

Objectives:  1. To reduce the vulnerability of returning migrants through effective reintegration mechanisms for economic resilience.

2. To strengthen and improve the social cohesion among communities to ensure prompt   and successful recovery from the pandemic.