Dhaka, June 26 -- The Covid-19 pandemic and ensuing worldwide containment measures have led the global economy on the verge of the deepest recession since the 1930s great depression. As the pandemic unfolds itself across countries, the plight and the vulnerability of hundreds of thousands of expatriate workers are becoming evident. In particular, the semi-skilled and the low-skilled categories of labour force have been bearing the brunt of the shock. Among the low-skilled category, those who lacked valid contractual agreement or residence permits or were unemployed or underemployed before the outbreak of the pandemic, have been particularly affected by the crisis.

The struggles and woes of expatriate workers often remain masked under rem...