RMMRU campaigns advocacy

RMMRU is involved in advocacy initiatives targeted towards specific policy changes. It is engaged in campaigns for the adoption of national law on refugees, accession to the 1951 Refugee Convention and ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Their Families 1990. The Unit has addressed questions of citizenship and rehabilitation/reintegration of camp-based Biharis in Bangladesh. Advocacy activities of RMMRU are aimed at policy makers. However, it makes conscious effort to incorporate government functionaries, civil society organizations active partners in such advocacy campaign. The Unit’s research on female labour migration has contributed to the development of an understanding in the international migration.

When the Interim Government of 2001 sought to streamline the labour recruitment process RMMRU was entrusted the task of preparing a policy document. Once the current government came to power it established the new Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment. RMMRU has also been assigned by the new Ministry and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to prepare a policy document for institutionalizing linkages with Bangladeshi Diaspora for economic development of the country.

RMMRU has analyzed the conditions of Biharis living in camps and their citizenship rights. The Unit encouraged Bihari youth to form their own association and push for establishing their rights. Recently, a section of them have established their voting right through court intervention.

Besides publications, a public and collaborative programme RMMRU also uses other tools for its advocacy activities. The unit has developed a drama on trafficking on woman as part of the combating Trafficking Project in partnership with Theatre Centre for social Development and a documentary film on female labour migration in collaboration with media mix Enterprise titled the Another Horizon.