Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has had any recent discussions with the Government of Bangladesh with the objective of either (a) promoting the human rights of female migrant workers and (b) promoting the need for more safeguarding for female migrant workers against exploitation and trafficking; and if he will list the outcomes of recent discussions he has had with that Government.

The British Government works closely with the Government of Bangladesh on these critical issues. Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking were discussed at the UK-Bangladesh Strategic Dialogue, and at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, this April which Prime Minister Hasina attended. The Secretary of State for International Development, raised these issues with Government of Bangladesh and met female migrant workers when she visited Bangladesh in November 2017. Bangladesh was also among the first group of countries to endorse our Prime Minister's Call to Action to End Forced Labour, Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking at the UN General assembly last year.

The UK supports Bangladesh to provide greater access to justice for survivors of abuse and trafficking, for example through an online complaints system and legal advice. We also support the Government of Bangladesh to ensure safe migration and prevent trafficking; in December announced a £13m funding package for the second phase of the Work in Freedom programme that will continue to tackle these issues across the region.