When Valid Visas Mean Nothing: The Bangladeshi Passport Crisis at Immigration Counters

This story by Zulker Naeen originally appeared on Global Voices on January 9, 2026.

The green Bangladeshi passport, once a symbol of hope and opportunity for millions seeking better lives abroad, has become a liability at immigration counters worldwide. What unfolds daily at airports across Southeast Asia, Western Asia, and beyond is not merely a migration crisis but a systematic breakdown of trust, governance, and human dignity. Thousands of Bangladeshi citizens stand at immigration desks with valid visas in hand, only to be turned away, detained, and deported without clear explanations.

On August 13, 2025, Malaysian immigration authorities denied entry to 204 Bangladeshi nationals at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The passengers were sent back to Bangladesh, their dreams of overseas work shattered before they could even exit the airport. This incident came after earlier mass deportations of 96 on July 11, 123 on July 24, and 80 on July 25. These travelers had valid visas, proper documentation, and airline tickets. Yet they never made it past immigration.

In the first four months of 2025 alone, over 3,500 Bangladeshis were denied entry to other countries and deported back to Bangladesh. These were not criminals or immigration violators. Many held legitimate tourist or visitor visas obtained through proper channels.

However, immigration officials in destination countries suspected that these travellers were entering on visitor visas with the intention of remaining longer and working illegally. This suspicion, whether justified or not, has created a crisis that affects thousands of aspiring migrants and genuine tourists alike.

The situation extended beyond Southeast Asia. In late September 2025, 52 Bangladeshis were deported from Italy, Austria, Greece, and Cyprus. On August 30, the UK deported 15 Bangladeshis for immigration violations.

A Bangladeshi NGO professional named Farzana was heading to Colombo for a work-related conference when immigration officers subjected her to degrading questioning. Despite carrying complete documentation, she was immediately subject to suspicion solely because of her passport. Her story echoes the experiences of countless others who endure extended questioning, prolonged waiting periods, and demeaning treatment at international airports.

Thousands of Bangladeshi travelers grapple with a troubling reality: legitimate visa holders with proper documentation are being denied entry at airports. This problem stems from a tangled combination of international distrust, historical violations, and intensified monitoring by border control agencies.

See Also: Bangladesh Law and Order Crisis: Fourth Attack on Minorities, Hindu Man Brutally Attacked And Set on Fire, Escapes Miraculously

Border officials raise immediate concerns when Bangladeshis arrive on temporary visas while showing minimal funds, uncertain itineraries, or conflicting paperwork. Authorities recognize that temporary visas have become a common pathway to unauthorized employment opportunities abroad.

Through accumulated experience with unauthorized migration patterns, certain destination countries have built sophisticated detection frameworks that flag certain traveler profiles.

Misuse of visitor visas for work-related migration

When temporary visas get exploited for employment-seeking migration, the fallout extends well beyond individual hardships. The repercussions cascade through Bangladesh’s economic structure, social fabric, and global reputation in ways that undermine national progress.

Several Gulf and Southeast Asian nations have either completely blocked or severely limited Bangladeshi worker entry, offering no definite reopening dates. Bangladesh has achieved minimal success in reopening these markets despite ongoing diplomatic discussions and senior-level meetings.

The UAE, which ranks as Bangladesh’s second-most important labor destination in Western Asia, has maintained restrictive policies since 2013. While migration numbers recovered somewhat after 2021, the figures tell a concerning story: from 101,000 workers in 2022 and 98,000 in 2023, the number plummeted to merely 47,000 last year. Following demonstrations by some migrants in support of domestic quota reform protests, the UAE discreetly tightened the issuance of visitor and employment visas for Bangladeshis in July 2024.

Malaysian authorities halted Bangladeshi worker recruitment in May of the prior year following revelations about unethical recruitment practices. Oman shut down worker entry from Bangladesh in September 2024, citing an excess labor supply and document forgery. The Maldives similarly stopped processing visas in 2024 after identifying procedural violations.

According to Mohammad Jalal Uddin Sikder, who specializes in labor migration and mobility issues, many legal migrants and tourists lack a proper understanding of regulations. Recruitment agencies provide misleading guidance, promote fraudulent documentation, and government awareness campaigns remain inadequate.

Bangladesh demonstrates remarkable diplomatic passivity when addressing these restrictions. Reports allege that Foreign missions typically respond to visa suspensions with quiet acceptance or routine procedural discussions rather than assertive strategic diplomacy. There is minimal visible initiative to rebuild international confidence or demonstrate improvements in regulatory systems and migration oversight.

Despite maintaining one of the world’s largest migrant worker populations, the nation’s diplomatic offices have often failed to negotiate mutual visa arrangements or enhanced mobility frameworks.

See Also: Bangladesh's First Female PM Begum Khaleda Zia Passes Away at 80 After Battling Prolonged Illness at Dhaka

Declining importance of passports and national credibility

The most recent Henley Passport Index 2025 places Bangladesh at the 100th position — representing its worst ranking in recent memory — alongside North Korea. This sharp deterioration signals a profound decline in how the international community views Bangladesh’s credibility.

Stories involving Bangladeshi nationals, visa violations, unauthorized stays, and document forgery have become relatively common throughout Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Countries that previously welcomed Bangladeshi visitors now impose stricter entry requirements.

Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand have introduced additional verification procedures, while the United Arab Emirates silently halted most visa categories for Bangladeshis last year. Each policy change, though seemingly isolated, contributes to an accumulated erosion of international confidence that determines passport strength.

Every Bangladeshi passport holder approaching an immigration checkpoint carries an invisible burden of global suspicion. Years of dispersed incidents have gradually constructed this suspicion, which immigration staff and foreign officials now apply indiscriminately to an entire nationality.

Destination country immigration services show heightened caution regarding Bangladeshis entering on visitor categories that might conceal intentions for unauthorized work or trafficking situations. Following the discovery that a migrant recruitment network involving six Malaysian firms had transported hundreds of workers using falsified documents, bypassing the government procedural system, Malaysian officials substantially strengthened their verification protocols. Workers connected to these fraudulent operations found themselves abandoned, and subsequent groups of Bangladeshi arrivals began facing wholesale distrust.

The situation has worsened since the July 2024 uprising in Bangladesh. The protests and instability prompted other governments to perceive the country as a potential source of asylum applicants, triggering more rigorous visa examinations.

Denmark’s recent restrictions targeting Bangladeshi and Nepali students demonstrate this apprehension. Danish officials claim that numerous students from these nations exploit educational opportunities as a “backdoor” to the Danish labor market.

A path forward to restore credibility and protect migrants

The airport turnback crisis is not an immigration problem that can be solved through stricter visa requirements. It is fundamentally a crisis of national integrity and institutional failure.

The international community’s growing distrust of Bangladeshi travelers is not baseless prejudice but a rational response to years of documented visa abuse, trafficking, and irregular migration.

Yet this distrust punishes the innocent alongside the guilty, denying legitimate travelers, students, businesspeople, and tourists the mobility their counterparts from other nations enjoy without question.

Abdusattor Esoev, chief of mission of the International Organization of Migration (IOM), suggested that addressing migration challenges demands a coordinated, comprehensive response involving government, civil society, international organizations, and the private sector.

(SY)

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