By Ashis Biswas
In recent times, securing jobs abroad has become increasingly tougher for young South Asian migrants to the US, Europe and the Middle East, as a direct outcome of major conflicts and continuing social upheavals and unrest. As the larger countries in the region, India and Bangladesh have been hit hard.
In the long haul both countries face a two-fold challenge: the desperate scramble for jobs at home will get more intense, as they grapple with massive economic problems. Also the substantial incomes generated from major remittances sent home by migrant workers, will decline over time.
,Amidst reports that at least 1500 more Indians are being sent back from the US in the short term, prospects in Canada look no better, with shrinking job opportunities.
What has really made things difficult for the average near- unskilled South Asian migrant is the new emphasis in official policies adopted in the US/EU countries. The objective is to weed out the illegal Asians living there for years. Most incumbent governments face strong right wing pressure, as ruling parties get accused of encouraging illegal migration. It is alleged that already there are local problems about the dilution and weakening of native cultures and serious security concerns.
Mostly engaged in temporary jobs involving manual labour, thousands of migrants have become vulnerable targets marked for an immediate, and unceremonious deportation. This is the outcome of a governance and policy response in the advanced countries towards a solution to their present problems. From the UK to the US, for students and migrants pursuing higher studies, securing visas have been hit by new tougher laws, fees for courses have been increased steeply and legally ensured rights of residence shortened.
Nor is the negative anti migrant trend restricted to Western countries alone. By December 2025, nearly 11,000-plus Indians had been deported for one reason or another from Saudi Arabia, a record. The US sent back round 3800 Indians, by the same time. Clearly Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s much trumpeted chumminess with US President Donald Trump did not make much difference in all areas of US/India bilateral ties. Interestingly, Myanmar deported around. 1600 “illegal” Indians, while another 1600 or so people were sent back by Malaysia and the UAE in 2025.
GOI and other sources claim that many Indians are leaving their adopted countries voluntarily as well. The reasons are uncontrolled inflation, contributing to higher cost of living, higher workloads during tough times, increasing harassments from officials and the sharp decline in sending back money home. This is not to suggest that they are not looking at opportunities outside India. Dubai is a favourite new destination.
From Canada, around 2830 Indians returned in 2025 as against 2000 the year before. While expressing doubts about the procedures followed by Canadian authorities in some cases, GOI has also objected strongly to the methods adopted during the deportation process, with no escort being provided for the deportees during their flight back. Even basic humanitarian facilities are not always provided, although not everyone returning is a declared criminal!
As for neighbouring Bangladesh, at least 5000 people lost their jobs in Lebanon, as the Israeli attacks continued. At least 200 people left on their own as migrants were increasingly pressed into life-threatening work conditions. This was in flagrant violation of local labour laws and contracts of employment on top of frequent wage cuts on the ground of ’emergency’.
HR groups and spokesmen for Migrants’ associations in the Middle East alleged that in Lebanon and nearby areas at 11 Bangladeshi workers had been killed, while many had been injured, receiving little attention from local authorities. Untrained workers had even been forced to take part in navel skirmishes as helpers, rescue staff and other jobs. There was no legal procedure in such cases, apparently. Only in one case a group of Filipino workers is known to have refused to carry out such orders.
HR groups allege that the bulk of the victims who died during multiple bombing raids and the dreaded exchange of missiles/drone attacks came from the unprotected ranks of economically vulnerable migrant workers. Repeated pleas to various international authorities, country heads, the UN and other bodies brought no response.
An additional worry for the workers was whether the host country would even arrange to settle their dues post mortem in view of the near total indifference to their desperate plight while they were alive. Such fears cannot be ruled out. Not only the supplier country would lose out on the question of remittances that were legally due, but the families of the victims at home too would suffer acutely. Many families seek and secure enormous loans to send and enable a member as earning job abroad. (IPA Service)
