Why do Migrant Workers Run To be illegal ?

-By  Shyam C. K.
According some reports approximately ---- numbers of Nepalese are  working illegally  all  over the world, risking their life. Amongst the countries frequented by more Nepalese workers,   Malaysia has the …..approximate number of illegal workers, Saudi Arabia has… , Qatar….. has…, UAE…… has, Bahrain… has, and Kuwait has…. Numbers of workers working illegally.

Off late. there have been many debates and discussions regarding the dangers faced by the illegal migrant workers working abroad.  Running away from their actual employer (sponsor)  and working illegally with another employer has become a big phenomenon for workers working abroad which has created immense problems and pressures for government of both receiving and sending countries, foreign employment agencies, diplomatic missions abroad and also to the workers themselves who are working illegally. Lives of these workers are also at a very high level of risk and so are lives of their dependents back home. Yet the numbers of such workers are increasing by double fold day by day.   
Most of the debates on in this issue are centered on their numbers, their sufferings and problems created and faced by such workers. Whenever the issue of illegal workers floats on the surface, stakeholders such as government agencies; diplomatic missions abroad, employment agencies and workers themselves enjoy playing the blame game to each other. The government authority blames overseas employment agencies for sending worker abroad yet whenever the issue of economic sustainability or the GDP comes up, it shamelessly highlights the contribution of remittance; the employment agencies blame government authorities for not taking responsibility, yet they hardly try to fulfill a what they had promised to these unfortunates; the diplomatic missions abroad blames employment agencies, workers and it forgets that one of the main reason of setting up diplomatic mission abroad is also for the protection of its citizens stationed there; it also blames government authorities for not providing enough funds and enough manpower to rescue such workers yet it never makes transparent the funds it collects from overseas employers or agencies and its staff believe themselves to be the king of such workers forgetting that the sweats and blood of these unfortunate are feeding them and the country. 

While playing such blame games, anyone hardly have tried to go to the deeper side of the issue as to why these workers run away from their work site and risk their life for a small amount of extra money. Nobody has ever tried to find out as to why these unfortunate workers, who land in foreign soils dreaming of better future for them and safer life for their loved one back home, venture out to work as a illegal migrant worker risking the every seconds of their lives and landing the lives of their loved ones back at home into the uncertain future. There could be several BECAUSE of these WHY`S.  But we have tried to put the matters as we have experienced and as expressed by the several of these unfortunate workers and their family members. 
1)    Lack of proper sponsorship system of recruitment :
The first and the foremost reason of workers running away from the employer and working illegally is the sponsorship systems of bringing foreign workers by the receiving countries.  Even if these workers  are treated badly or even if they are not paid on time or not provided the perks as promised or whatever reasons there could be; upon arriving at the employment site;  these workers are not allowed to change their employer before expiry of the contract or even after end of  the contract. In the present sponsorship system in many countries, they have no other options but to continue working with the sponsor. Generally when workers get too much pressure, and they can`t change the employer as they wish, they chose the option of running away from their sponsors as the burden pressure reaches into the point of intolerance. Only if there was a system of changing sponsor in certain circumstances, even by paying the money, then 90 % of the workers would not chose to run away.
2)    Salary and the payment reasons :  
- Most of the runaway workers complain about the non payment of salary on time, low payment than they were promised of and non payment of overtimes they have worked for or non availability of over time and not availability of the facilities promised to them or even signed as in contract.  As they come to work to earn some money and to support their family, If they did not get the salary on time or as promised, the first step they do is make complain to the agencies but if they are not heard then they have only two choices,: a) either return home -  But returning to home is not an easy option as it involves lot of money which ultimately is out of their reach and that leads them to the second option and b) that is to run away and work illegally – as they can not bear the cost of repatriation.  Also loan they had taken to travel abroad haunts them. Obviously, even if they manage to return home the lender would be in his door the next day to collect his money.  So not seeing any way out from their problems even if they return home, they run away from the employer landing themselves into a great risk and putting the lives of their loved ones back home into an uncertain future .
3)    Lack of awareness :
-    Most of the workers who run away from the employer are unaware of the legal facilities/protection they are entitled to even if they are working on lower salary. They have no knowledge of the consequences they might face in the event of the accident, minor injuries, sickness etc. These workers simply runaway following the footstep of other workers who are working illegally and are being paid higher salary by the employer. By the time they realize the consequences of being illegal, it becomes too late for them to correct the mistakes they had committed.
4)    Greediness of employers and Ambition of fast money making of employees.
-    Some employers are greedy on the sense that they try to deduct even small matters like water and electricity cost, try to hold salary for a longer time in order to invest on some other business and try to cut down the small facilities. We have seen that even if the basic facilities like hostel, food, medical insurance etc are provided on a sound manner, then workers never mind working even in lower salary. But Even if the salary is higher but the employer is careless about the above matters, workers try to run away.
-    Some workers are greedy too. They simply run after the money.  While on a vacation or on shopping or strolling out of companies, these workers meet illegal workers from same countries or from other countries. Some of the illegal workers describe their companies and salary so well that these unfortunate workers also start dreaming of same earning.  They forget the legal services they are entitled from the employers, even if they are paid less than the illegal workers. Also most of the illegal workers try to talk big about the salary matters. So in order to make fast money, workers even working with the companies having a good track record run away because of greediness of more money. But when they reach the destination only they realize what they had missed. So greediness and ambition of earning fast money are also one of the major reasons on this cases. 
5)    Bad treatment by the employers or their supervisors / managers :
-     Some employers still treat the employees as bonded labors or as modern day slaves. They have feeling that if they are paying money to the employees, employees shall perform any work as ordered by them.
-    We also have found that some employers are not aware of the treatment their employees are receiving from the supervisors, managers etc.  These managers force workers too hard at work site or even at other places even in small matters so as to  show their own productivity to the employers. As a result the employees cannot take the burden and has no alternatives but to run away or stop working. Such employees are not given access to talk to employers directly and even if they are  given they are not heard properly. So when the employees see no end to the suppression that they are  suffering from and thus has no other alternatives but to run away.
6)    Workplace hazards and security matters :
-    Workplace security is also one of the main reasons for workers to run away. Generally foreign workers are given the jobs known as 3D and obviously work sites are very dangerous, dirty or difficult, such as work site involving chemicals, hot environment, dangerous machinery, high rise constructions etc. Some of these companies do not provide proper security equipments that is required as per the safety rules. As such the workers feel that their life is in danger.  Due to lack security features there have been many accidents where workers have lost their lives or some parts of their body. In such sites, for not receiving the proper security equipments, seeing  and sensing  the danger workers runaway to work illegally where more danger and risk awaits them in the course of time.
-    The security matter also applies to the hostels/ camps they are supposed to stay. Looting, stabbing, gang fight and other security reasons in and around the areas of their work sites or the hostels also make workers runaway from the employers.

7)    Involvement of middle agents between the recruiter and the employers.
a)    Out of country agents - Most of the employers hire workers from the middle agents instead of hiring directly from the recruitment agencies of receiving countries. Such as Most f the companies still hire Nepalese workers through Indian, Bangladeshi or other agencies or middlemen instead of hiring workers directly from Nepali agencies. When the requirement is forwarded to Nepalese agencies through these middle agents almost 90 % of the such middle agents try to highlight matters such as high salary than actually given by the employers, higher facilities etc in order to get the high commission. Falling in such trap and believing in such middle agents the Nepalese agents pay high commissions and charge high amount of money to these poor workers.

When workers arrive at the work site, then the story is 100 % different than what had been told to them. In such cases when they try to follow with the Nepal agents they had to go through such middlemen who again are very good in making stories and convincing people. So the dreams of making good money and supporting  family back home gets shattered in no moments. Seeing and feeling that there is no way out to recover their investment workers have no other alternatives but to run away.
b)    In country agents – In country agents system (though 95 % working illegally) have become a very big problems for all concerns in this sector. The Manpower agencies receive the demand and circulate to the so called agents ,  almost 90 % of the such middle agents try to highlight matters such as high salary than actually quoted by the manpower agencies,   higher facilities etc in order to get the workers.  A small example is these agents don`t reveal the actual basic salary instead highlight how much they will be earning in so and so company. Most of these agents give passports and documents of these youths to the agencies from where they can get maximum profit.

Most of the overseas agencies, before the departure to the destination, try to explain the matter in details and make these abroad bound youths sign the agreement papers as required by the employers.  But in the mind of most of these youths, the matter over narrated by their NEAR ONES - LOCAL AGENTS, are rooted so deeply that they hardly try to see and understand what is being explained to them. So on reaching the work site they do not find what was forcefully put into their head by these local agents. Then the process of complains and denial by the agencies and non responding of the local agents. Agency would not take the responsibility in such cases when workers are getting what was told by the agencies not by the LOCAL AGENTS. So finally these youths end up getting less than what was narrated by the local agents and seeing the end of their ambition of getting more money from the employer they venture out illegally to get more money (The true story and true faces of these so called agents will be on next issue)
8)    Encouragement of illegal employment by some employers and lack of strict monitoring by the government authorities in receiving countries:
Some employers in receiving countries are encouraging workers to work illegally. Such employers are generally paying higher salary to the workers who come to them illegally from another employer. They would not mind doing so as they are free from lot of hassles from the government offices such as they don`t have to pay any amount to government to bring foreign workers, they don`t have to spend money on insurance, medical etc for these workers and above all they have no responsibility toward these workers in the event they get caught by the police or they meet with the accident or get sick. These types of ROTTEN EGGS are responsible for the encouragement of illegally working practices.

Most of the governments have laid out plans to discourage such employers by introducing rules and regulation but the implementing authorities in such countries are not doing anything. Suppose one such employer is found out by them, they simply get paid and go for free without any charges but the poor workers, who work for them risking their life, are caught and sent to prison.
There could be several other reasons that may not have come to our knowledge or there could be several experts who may not agree with our points or there could be several unfortunate workers or their so called union leaders who would not agree with some points stated herein. But none can deny the fact that this phenomenon is costing all stakeholders dearly and even damaging the reputation of the country itself.  As long as the stakeholders don`t start accepting the responsibility of their own and don`t start correcting the mistakes  they have made, this phenomenon will not fade away. And if it does not fade away soon, then the day is not far when Nepali employees, who are until now regarded as the honest and hard working people, will be regarded same as Bangaladeshi workers and rejected from all over the places.  If that happens, then only the losers will not only be the foreign employment agencies but the whole country will be. So as the saying goes.. its better to be safe before than be sorry later.