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Bangladesh’s migration economy is a vital lifeline, with USD 21.5 billion in remittances received in 2023, making it the eighth-highest recipient globally and third in South Asia. Over 13 million Bangladeshis work abroad, predominantly in low- or semi-skilled sectors, significantly contributing to the nation’s foreign currency reserves and socio-economic development. However, the path to safe and beneficial migration is riddled with systemic challenges, high costs, fragmented services, and a pervasive reliance on informal networks.
Migration expenses average BDT 3.76 lakh (approximately USD 4,000), often four to six times higher than for migrants from neighboring countries like India or Nepal. Most families finance these costs through informal, high-interest loans, leading to persistent cycles of debt. Middlemen further inflate costs, often charging significantly above government caps.
Migrants overwhelmingly rely on informal networks, family, and unregulated sub-agents—for information, financing, and job placements, bypassing formal institutions. This deep-rooted trust in informal channels persists despite the high risks of fraud and exploitation. Deception is rampant, with approximately 90% of migration cases involving some form of fraud, such as falsified job offers, document manipulation, or inflated fees. Many victims lack proper documentation, hindering legal recourse. The problem extends beyond just supply of justice.
A striking 75% of migrant workers are unaware of where to seek help if problems arise. Formal justice systems are perceived as slow, costly, and biased, while local grievance mechanisms often lack legal enforcement power. Government bodies and embassies are frequently viewed as ineffective or corrupt.
The situation further deteriorates once we consider that over 80% of Bangladeshi migrants are low or semi-skilled, often undervaluing formal training. This limits their earning potential and global market competitiveness, despite skilled migrants remitting 1.6 times more annually than their unskilled counterparts.
Women constitute only 6–9% of migrants and face disproportionate exploitation, wage theft, restricted mobility under the kafala system, and social stigma both abroad and upon return. Domestically, 98.8% of female-headed households receiving remittances are not engaged in income-generating activities, hindered by low financial literacy and limited access to services. This gender biased perception and interaction with women stakeholders plant deep-seated barriers affecting women’s financial autonomy, entrepreneurial aspirations, and access to justice.
Recognizing these profound challenges, Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation, Bangladesh, a non-profit membership association, commissioned LightCastle Partners for a crucial assignment. Helvetas implements the Strengthened and Informative Migration Systems (SIMS) project, mandated by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), with the overarching objective of mitigating the negative impacts and risks of labor migration and maximizing its benefits for migrants and their families.
LightCastle Partners was tasked to conduct a Baseline Study for SIMS Phase II to “garner ground reality (baseline information)”, establish initial and target values for key result indicators, and document the current migration scenario, with a specific focus on Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI). The study aimed to lay the foundational understanding for future interventions in migration-prone communities across ten targeted upazilas in Chandpur and Cox’s Bazar districts
To address Helvetas’s comprehensive mandate, LightCastle Partners employed a mixed-methods approach, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques, underpinned by a three-pronged study approach to triangulate insights across systemic stakeholders. This methodology was designed to dissect the complex migration journey across pre-migration, during migration, and post-migration stages, evaluating awareness, access, decision-making, and interactions with service providers, all through a GESI lens.
These three phased approaches started with creating a strong foundational understanding through literature review & policy synthesis, followed by an exhaustive data collection deployment in the project area, and concluding with a holistic triangulation and synthesis of the multi-stakeholder insights.
| Phase 1: Literature Review | Phase 2: Data Collection | Phase 3: Triangulation |
| An extensive desk review of SIMS Phase II project documents, including the theory of change, logical framework, and result indicators. | Quantitative Surveys: A total sample size of 400 respondents was surveyed across 10 Upazilas and 70 unions in Chandpur (60% of sample) and Cox’s Bazar (40% of sample) districts | A review of the datasets through rigorous QC consisting of 10% teleback checks and on-field review process. |
| This was complemented by a review of secondary sources on migration and remittance trends, women and marginalized groups in migration processes, challenges in accessing information and legal aid, service delivery gaps, and opportunities for productive remittance utilization. | The sample was strategically distributed among Left-Behind Family Members (50%), Existing Migrant Workers (15%), and Aspirant Migrants (35%) | Data cleaning and validation through discussions with migration experts and bolstering the gender angle through consultation with GESI experts. |
| The Qualitative Surveys delved into FGDs, IDIs, and KIIs, taking a multi-stakeholder approach to insights | Quantitative data was analyzed using Excel and SPSS, while qualitative data underwent systematic thematic analysis. Triangulation was a core principle, cross-verifying insights from surveys, KIIs, FGDs, and secondary data to enhance credibility and validity | |
| IDI: 14 IDIs with family members, aspirants, returnee, and existing migrants 5 FGDs with female family members and aspirant migrants to delve into remittance management and institutional support KII: 30 KIIs with key stakeholders across the value chain, including government representatives to gauge systemic gaps. |
The baseline study delivered critical insights into the pervasive challenges within Bangladesh’s migration landscape, underscoring the urgent need for comprehensive, systemic interventions. The findings directly informed a set of strategic recommendations for Helvetas’s SIMS Phase II project, aimed at transforming the ecosystem for safer, fairer, and more economically empowering migration outcomes.
LightCastle Partners proposed a multi-faceted strategic blueprint for SIMS Phase II to foster long-term resilience and sustainable development for migrants and their families. The key recommendations include:
These strategic interventions are designed to directly inform SIMS Phase II activities, driving systemic improvements for safer, more equitable, and economically empowering migration outcomes. By leveraging data-driven insights, LightCastle Partners’ work provides Helvetas Bangladesh with a clear roadmap to foster long-term resilience and sustainable development for all migrants and their families
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