Enhancing Labor Migration Capacities Through Youth Leadership in Bangladesh

As part of the Fairer Labor Migration Coalition under the Promoting Effective, Responsive, and Inclusive Governance in Bangladesh (PERI) Program, Young Power in Social Action (YPSA) is engaging youth volunteer groups in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, to improve labor migration practices. Known for high rates of migration, with 52% of irregular potential migrants between the ages of 20-24, the district faces significant challenges with many youth seeking better opportunities abroad. YPSA is addressing this by mobilizing youth volunteers to lead efforts for a safer and regulated labour migration process at the grassroot level.

YPSA conducted two crucial training sessions in consultation with civil society and youth organizations in Zhilanja and Chowfuldandi Cox’s Bazar. The sessions focused on initiating capacity development of the local youths in safe labor migration and promoting youth.

The training sessions focused on:

• Understanding the Safe Migration and Migration Act of 2023
• The roles and responsibilities of the sub-agents, and the impact of the grievance management committee (GMC) in the labour migration process.
• Contributions to the national database through aspirant migrants and sub-agent registration, orientation to the YPSA Support Centre and Youth Engagement Service, and guidance on assisting the GMC in gathering and managing overseas-related complaints.
• Ensuring data accuracy, the youth volunteers were trained to collect and update data of the aspiring migrants and sub-agents, equipped to gather statistics, address overseas complaints, and educate the community on migration risks.

Through the PERI program, YPSA is building a safer, more regulated migration framework, with youth serving a pivotal role in shaping a more secure future for labor migration in Bangladesh.