Mediceram, a company based in Malaysia, recently terminated approximately 190 Bangladeshi employees on October 31. As a result, at least 10 of these workers were deported on Monday evening, with plans in motion to deport others as well.
One of the affected workers, Nironjon, disclosed that they were boarding a flight bound for Dhaka at 11:00 pm from Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Despite attempting to pursue legal action against the visa cancellations and deportations, Nironjon reported that Mediceram officials forcibly escorted him into a vehicle and transported him to the airport, warning of potential arrests and detainment by immigration authorities if they refused to comply.
Migrant rights activist Andy Hall, who had been advocating on behalf of the workers, confirmed that the 10 employees were adamant about not leaving but were ultimately coerced onto a bus headed to the airport. Hall also mentioned the likelihood of an additional 24 workers facing deportation the following day.
The mass termination on October 31 stemmed from the Bangladeshi workers’ objections to exploitative practices, such as visa non-renewals, at Mediceram. These workers, who were recruited in 2023, had encountered issues like delayed or irregular payments and visa complications. Despite organizing multiple demonstrations over the years to address these concerns, promises made by the employer to resolve outstanding matters were repeatedly broken.
Efforts by the Bangladesh High Commission and the Malaysian government to intervene and address the workers’ grievances proved ineffective. The situation escalated on September 30 when immigration officials conducted a raid at the factory, resulting in the detention of approximately 90 workers due to visa validity concerns.
Although recruitment fees were refunded on October 27, the workers are still awaiting the return of their passports and the renewal of their visas from Mediceram. The Migrant Workers’ Network strongly denounced the harsh treatment by Mediceram and demanded the immediate reinstatement and protection of the affected workers.