This post was originally shared on the MISTY project website, on 13 July 2020.
Researchers at MISTY’s partner institute, the Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU), Dhaka, have this month published an important Policy Brief which presents the findings of a qualitative survey of 50 Bangladeshi migrants recently returned from different labour receiving countries after the outbreak of COVID-19. Many of these migrant workers were arbitrarily returned home and a significant portion of their wages and other benefits remain unpaid.
The study found that although many of them had valid visas and work permits, three-quarters (78%) of Bangladeshi migrants who returned after the outbreak of Covid -19 were forcibly sent home. The study further found that 74% of returning migrants left behind substantial resources in terms of unpaid wages, benefits and other dues. On average the affected migrants lost 175,000 Bangladeshi Taka (approx. 2,060 US dollars/ 1,800 Euros) in remittances.
A significant number of the migrants who were forcibly returned were held in detention centres before being sent home, and all, without exception, described the return journey as traumatic. RMMRU’s study highlights the vulnerability of migrant work forces in crisis situations and reinforces the need to do more to ensure their rights and protection.
The broader aim of this study is then to convince Bangladeshi policy-makers of the need to document the experiences of migrant workers who have been forced to return in the wake of COVID-19, in order to develop emergency guidelines for their protection in future emergency situations.
The full text of this Policy Brief can be found here on the RMMRU website.
The aim of Green Microfinance – as with microfinance – is to help financially excluded people, primarily in the Global South, to manage and reduce the insecurity of their income, including by empowering them to set up profitable micro-enterprises. Green Microfinance includes an additional focus, however: that of addressing environmental concerns while maintaining positive financial and social performance. This knowledge brief is based on a peer-reviewed article that reviews recent literature on the impacts of microfinance, and particularly Green Microfinance, on transformations to sustainability.
It is based on a paper by Huybrechs, F. et al. (2019). ‘Exploring the potential contribution of green microfinance in transformations to sustainability.’ Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability 41: 85-92. doi: 10.1016/j.cosust.2019.11.001.
Download Green Microfinance: pitfalls, potential and pathways to transformation.
La transformación significa ir más allá de lo que se ha hecho hasta ahora en la política y toma de decisiones. Para lograrlo, se requieren actores de todos los sectores, enfocados en cambiar las condiciones para mantener y mejorar los sistemas dañados. ¿Qué significa la transformación en la práctica?
Este documento fue escrito con aportes de los participantes de la Conferencia de Transformación 2019:
S. Moser., P. Aldunce, A. Rudnick, M. Rojas, y L. Muñoz. 2019. Transformación desde la ciencia a la toma de decisiones.
A new policy brief published following the Transformations 2019 conference highlights the need and requirements for transformational system change towards sustainability.
‘Transformational mitigation and adaptation will open up a space for hope’, according to the brief, which lists a number of transformative actions that could be taken across different levels to address the root causes of climate change, social vulnerability and societal challenges, helping to achieve mitigation and adaptation goals as well as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Download the brief in English:
S. Moser., P. Aldunce, A. Rudnick, M. Rojas, and L. Muñoz. 2019. Transformation from science to decision-making.
