Bangladesh and Italy on Tuesday reached a deal to address ‘irregular migration’ more effectively through joint efforts and make ways for further cooperation in areas of mutual interests.
A memorandum of understanding on ‘Migration and Mobility’ was signed between the two countries in Dhaka as Italy’s minister of the interior Matteo Piantedosi concluded his two-day visit to Bangladesh on the day.
The development came at a time when many aspiring migrants from Bangladesh reportedly take risky journeys to reach Italy, one of their major destinations in Europe, and fall prey to human traffickers as there were reports of deaths in boat capsize incidents in the Mediterranean Sea in recent years.
Both sides agreed to make arrangements towards establishing a joint committee to promote cooperation in preventing and combating transnational organised crime and capacity-building initiatives for law enforcement agencies, according to a joint press statement issued Tuesday.
Bangladesh’s adviser for expatriates’ welfare and overseas employment Asif Nazrul and Italy’s interior minister Matteo Piantedosi signed the MoU on behalf of their respective governments. Â
‘One of the key outcomes of the visit was to sign a memorandum of understanding on migration and mobility between the two governments,’ said a statement shared by the Bangladesh foreign affairs ministry.
For Bangladesh, this MoU reflects the government’s commitment to expanding labour markets abroad, securing remittance inflows, and uplifting the lives of people through legal migration pathways and for Italy, it offers a solution to the challenges of labour shortages while promoting safe, orderly and regular migration, according to the statement.
‘This MoU will also help address irregular migration jointly and more effectively, including in line with the provisions of the Standard Operating Procedures for the Identification and Return of Persons without an Authorisation to Stay’ signed between Bangladesh and the EU in 2017,’ it mentioned.
The two sides concurred on organising a visit of the head of government of Italy to Bangladesh at an early date, said the statement.
The Italian minister expressed appreciation for Bangladesh’s efforts to stabilise economy and accelerate growth as well as its generous hosting of forcibly displaced Rohingyas, while the Bangladesh side acknowledged Italy’s continued support within the European Union and international forums.
The outcomes of the visit, the statement mentioned, would further strengthen the partnership between the two countries and lay the foundation for deeper collaboration in areas of mutual interest.
During his two-day visit, minister Matteo Piantedosi called on interim government chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus and held bilateral meetings with foreign affairs adviser Md Touhid Hossain, adviser Asif Nazrul, also responsible for law, justice and parliamentary affairs ministry, home affairs adviser retired Lieutenant General Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, who is also responsible for the agriculture ministry.
Appreciating the Italian government for hosting the second-largest Bangladeshi diaspora in Europe, foreign affairs adviser Touhid also urged to resolve the issue of pending visa applications with the Embassy of Italy in Dhaka, particularly for those with genuine work permits, at the soonest.
At the same time, he requested for finding out suitable alternatives to expedite the verification of work permits by the Italian Provincial Immigration Office.Â
Both sides reviewed the state of bilateral relations and discussed a wide range of issues, including security cooperation, migration management, law enforcement collaboration, streamlined visa processing arrangements and the welfare of the Bangladeshi diaspora in Italy, said the statement.
In his meeting with the chief adviser, Piantedosi reaffirmed Italy’s continued support for the interim government of Bangladesh.Â
In his meeting with the meeting with minister Piantedosi, Bangladesh adviser for expatriates’ welfare and overseas Employment Asif Nazrul requested Italy to consider increased quotas for skilled and semi-skilled Bangladeshi workers since the demand for skilled labour increased in Italy.
They also expressed their willingness to work together to promote formal remittance channels and iterated their commitment to ensuring the dignity, safety and wellbeing of migrant workers.
