Bangladesh Embassy in Saudi Arabia has said that 1 million Bangladeshi migrants from Saudi Arabia may have to return home in the next couple of years due to falling fuel prices and ongoing economic losses.

The embassy fears that the policy of replacing 80 percent of foreign workers with its own nationals by 2030 could be another reason. The embassy also sent a letter to the foreign ministry last month, citing fears of a return of workers.

In a press release issued on Monday, the foreign ministry said Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia had reached an agreement on the repatriation of migrant workers interested in returning to the country. In a foreign minister-level phone conversation, Bangladesh agreed to bring back workers from Saudi Arabia. And at the request of Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia has agreed to send back these workers in phases

Earlier on Sunday, Foreign Minister. Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud had a phone conversation with AK Abdul Momen. In a phone call, the two ministers agreed to return the workers. Workers from Saudi Arabia will be brought to the country in phases to ensure quarantine facilities to prevent the transmission of the novel coronavirus. Priority will be given to Umrah Hajj pilgrims, students and female domestic workers stranded in Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile Saudi Arabia will gradually repatriate a large number of migrant workers, which will reach 1.2 million by the end of this year.

The oil rich country decided to suspend several ambitious projects to alleviate the economic crisis following Covid-19 effects of the epidemic that have led to a sharp fall in the price of crude oil worldwide.  A projection by the Riyadh-based Jadwa Investment Company says that Saudi Arabia will repatriate large numbers of foreign workers due to the implementation of the government’s previous plan to expand the job market for Saudi nationals and the recent coronavirus epidemic. The Saudi Gazette published a report on Monday based on Jadwar’s projection. According to the report, some sectors in Saudi Arabia are not expected to return to full business in the near future. Despite the gradual relaxation of the lockdown system, the most affected sectors of travel, hotels, restaurants, tourism and entertainment are unlikely to be fully operational. Hospitality, food services, administrative and support activities, travel agencies, security and construction are the sectors that are most likely to be repatriated at the highest rates. However, despite the departure of 1.2 million foreign workers, the unemployment rate among Saudis will remain unchanged at 12 percent by the end of 2020.