Price gouging by illegal manpower brokers, mainly based in Malaysia, has increased immigration costs for Bangladeshi workers seeking employment in Libya. Brokers will purchase large quantities of Libyan work visas then sell them at inflated rates to workers and employment recruiters. Normally, workers’ migration costs average 100,000 to 120,000 Bangladeshi Taka (1,455 -1,746 USD). However, some workers complain of being charged twice that amount.

Recruiting agencies believe that if they could go directly to the government, visa costs would decline. Libya’s Expatriates’ Welfare and Oversees Employment Minister said workers’ failure to protest costs was an issue, but claimed no knowledge of increased costs. He stated he would monitor the situation for the next two months.

The Daily Star reports that these unregulated broker practices coupled with the economy’s decline has resulted in many foreign governments limiting Bangladeshi workers’ ability to obtain work. The first five months of 2008 saw 378,994 Bangladeshis seek employment overseas, while only 212,332 have done so this year.

Each day about 300 Bangladeshi workers leave for Libya, which recently began building infrastructure projects worth over $100 billion. Libya estimates the projects will employ around 200,000 workers in two years. Libya’s government has begun hiring Bangladeshi workers, and last December recruited 20,000 Bangladeshi workers.