Visiting Italian interior minister Matteo Piantedosi on Monday informed the chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus that Italy was willing to hire more people from Bangladesh and would undertake measures to ensure safe migration from the country.
Matteo conveyed to the chief adviser that Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni was expected to visit Bangladesh sometime before September, as Rome was keen to 鈥榬enew鈥� and 鈥榬e-launch鈥� its bilateral cooperation with Dhaka, United News of Bangladesh reported.
The Italian minister called on Professor Yunus at the state guest house Jamuna in Dhaka and discussed issues of mutual interest, including safe and legal migration of Bangladeshis, combating human trafficking and trade and investment.
鈥榃e have a great Bangladeshi community in Italy. We are really satisfied with the Bangladeshi community as they are young, hardworking, and have integrated into Italian society perfectly. We need more of them in Italy,鈥� he said.
鈥楾he reason I am here is to share with you that many of them rely on illegal means to reach Italy, which is dangerous. We want the ones who follow the legal framework.鈥�
He said that the uncontrolled arrival of migrants by sea was 鈥榲ery problematic鈥� for the European nation and sought Bangladesh鈥檚 cooperation to eliminate illegal migration and organised crime. 鈥榃e are here to propose a new way of cooperation policy.鈥�
The chief adviser said that Bangladesh was eager to work with Italy to stop illegal migration and human trafficking.
鈥楤angladeshis living in Italy are very grateful to the host country and appreciative of the way they are treated in Italy,鈥� Yunus said.
He said that there were international groups of people who tried to lure them to Italy in an illegal way. 鈥楾hese are the people who create problems.鈥�
鈥楳igrants are the sufferers, not the beneficiaries, of human trafficking,鈥� Yunus observed.
The chief adviser recalled his meeting with the Italian prime minister on the sidelines of UNGA in New York in September last and said that the two countries would work together closely to combat the issues.
Meanwhile, Home adviser Lieutenant General (retired) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has called upon Italy to take required measures to legalise Bangladeshi nationals, reported Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha.聽聽聽
鈥楾he Italy government will take generous initiatives to legalise Bangladeshi nationals staying in Italy,鈥� he hoped in a meeting with Matteo Piantedosi held at the ministry鈥檚 conference room.
The adviser assured Italian minister of extending cooperation to return illegal Bangladeshi nationals under mutually agreed framework, said a press release of the ministry.
Jahangir Alam said that Bangladesh looked forward to work on a wide range of issues with Italy, including irregular migration flow, steps taken to dismantle criminal networks in human trafficking, and exploring ways to deepen bilateral cooperation in the field of security.
In addition, he said that the two countries were poised to sign a declaration establishing the joint committee on promoting cooperation in preventing and combating transnational organised crimes and the proposed agreement on cooperation in security matters.