110,000 Bangladeshi workers unable to travel to Italy despite receiving work permits

Despite the Italian government issuing 110,000 work permits for Bangladeshi migrant workers, the visa processing center at the Italian Embassy or VFS GLOBAL ITALY has remained inactive for an extended period, preventing migrants from traveling to Italy. Consequently, the Bangladesh Migration Development Forum (BMDF) and the Bangladesh Expatriate Development Association urge Bangladesh's Interim Government Chief Advisor, Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, to initiate discussions regarding the future of these 110,000 workers awaiting immigration to Italy.

Expatriate human rights advocates made this appeal during a press conference held at DRU on Sunday.

Shah Mohammed Taifur Rahman, Executive Director of the Bangladesh Expatriate Development Association, said, "Bangladeshi citizens are willing to migrate to affluent countries like Italy at any cost, without concern for discrimination or illegal immigration. From 2003 to 2012, the Italian labor market was unilaterally closed to Bangladeshi workers. However, in 2020, after eight long years, Italy and Bangladesh signed a bilateral cooperation agreement to curb illegal immigration and restore the rights of Bangladeshi workers under Italy’s sponsor system and immigration decree. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Bangladeshi workers began receiving work visas to Italy in 2021. Due to the absence of proper government regulation, around 600,000 applications from Bangladesh were submitted through private initiatives in 2022, 2023, and 2024. It has been reported that over 100,000 of these applications have been received."

Taifur Rahman stated, "The large number of fake work permits has made the visa issuance process difficult for the Italian Embassy in Dhaka. After the signing of the bilateral cooperation agreement between Italy and Bangladesh, which opened labor market access, the Bangladesh government cannot ignore its responsibility for these challenges."

He also said, "We have submitted an application on this matter to the interim government advisor and to Professor Dr. Asif Nazrul, advisor to the Ministry of Law, Expatriate Welfare, and Foreign Employment. We are seeking the intervention of the interim government’s chief advisor, Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, to facilitate obtaining work visas through bilateral discussions with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni."

Khairuzzaman Kamal, President of the Bangladesh Migration Development Forum (BMDF), said, "Despite numerous appeals and efforts to address these issues with the Italian Embassy, no solution has been provided. The embassy’s visa processing capacity is currently 100 visas per day and 2,500 visas per month, meaning it would take about two years to process the 50,000 to 60,000 applications in the backlog. To resolve this issue within the next 2 to 3 months, the Italian Embassy in Dhaka must increase its capacity tenfold. This problem has persisted for over a year and requires urgent resolution by the Italian government."

Advocate Kamruzzaman, Director of the Legal Aid Service for Migrant Workers, said, "By halting visa issuance for 12-14 months, the Italian embassy is undermining migrant workers' right to employment. This delay has led to the cancellation of both their visas and work opportunities in Italy. With no assurance of receiving an Italian visa, these workers have suffered significant financial losses and are living in dire conditions with their families."

Samsun Nahar Aziz Lina, General Secretary of the Bangladesh Migration Development Forum (BMDF), said, "In light of the current situation, the affected individuals will begin a hunger strike tomorrow (September 9) to demand work visas for Italy. We stand with them and encourage a peaceful gathering at Justice Sahabuddin Park to urge both governments to address and resolve the visa issue."