Michael*is a 32 year old age migrant male from Bangladesh.  He came to South Africa in 2009, in search of better business prospects.  Leaving his wife and two children in Bangladesh, he put his life as subsistence farmer behind him and set out to start a small business in George, South Africa.  In the process of setting up his tuck-shop business, he was unfortunately involved in a freak accident while exercising one day, which left him paralyzed from the neck down.  He spent three months at a hospital in Cape Town, receiving acute medical care, and was later transferred to a medical rehabilitation centre in the Western Cape.  With no family in South Africa to take care of him, and no means of going home, he remained at the rehabilitation centre, until IOM learnt of his situation.

Michael’s case was referred to IOM in June 2011.  Since then, the IOM offices in Cape Town, Pretoria and Dhaka, all worked tirelessly to ensure Michael’s smooth and safe return to his family.  A medical escort from IOM Dhaka in Bangladesh was brought in and trained by the rehabilitation centre staff on the treatment and care of the patient. The escort then travelled back to Bangladesh with Michael, where he was finally reunited with his family, who then received training on how to care for him from the medical escort.

While Michael will probably never be able go back to his previous life as a subsistence farmer, he at least has the comfort of being around his loved ones, and for this he is grateful.

Meanwhile, back in Cape Town, the staff at the rehabilitation centre are already missing Michael, but are very happy that he has been reunited with his family.

“We wish to extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to the IOM team who have been involved in the repatriation of Michael to Bangladesh. We sincerely appreciate the professional and humane manner in which IOM conducted the entire operation,” says Jody Woods*, Principal Social Worker at the rehabilitation centre.

Michael’s return home was made possible through funding from the United States Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM.

*Names have been changed.