Trade, investment, repatriation of Rohingyas, legal and regular migration, economic development, recruitment and regularization of Bangladeshi workers, and social business are likely to be discussed during the visit of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to  Bangladesh in the last week of August, sources in Dhaka, Rome  and Milan said.

This is the maiden visit by an Italian Prime Minister to Bangladesh in the independent Bangladesh that shows that the EU country is eager to deepen engagement with Bangladesh in the multilateral sectors, said several Bangladesh diplomats.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is expected to   pay an official visit to Bangladesh on August 30-31 at the invitation of Chief Adviser of Bangladesh Dr Mohammad  Yunus.

Both countries are currently engaged in high-level consultations to finalize the visit, which is being seen as a significant step towards strengthening bilateral relations, foreign ministry’s official told media .

On the sidelines of the high-level week of the 78th United Nations General Assembly in September in 2024, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni held a bilateral meeting with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus.

In a meeting with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, the Italian minister conveyed Rome’s intent to “renew” and “relaunch” its partnership with Bangladesh.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will visit Bangladesh  as part of our broader initiative to enhance bilateral cooperation, Piantedosi apprised the Chief Adviser, underlining Italy’s growing interest in recruiting more skilled workers from Bangladesh under a safe and regulated migration framework.

In response, Professor Yunus welcomed Italy’s interest, expressing Dhaka’s readiness to collaborate with Rome in combating illegal migration and curbing human trafficking through structured and legal pathways.

European countries, particularly Italy has expressed deep concern over irregular and illegal migration  and is interested in working with Bangladesh in regularizing the migration.

The meeting came a week after the Chief Adviser and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni held a one-on-one meeting at the UN Headquarters in New York.

During the UN meeting, Prof Yunus called for the large-scale formal migration from Bangladesh to Italy. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said both nations should work hard to cut irregular migration.

According to international newspapers, the Italian government has approved the legal entry of an additional 500,000 migrant workers for the three-year period 2026-2028. An increase on the current period. Between 2023-2025, it authorized 452,000 entries.

On June 30, 2025, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni's government authorized the entry of 500,000 foreign workers for the next three-year period, 2026 to 2028. This is a slight increase over the current three-year period, when it green lit 450,000 entries.

The new quotas were agreed during a cabinet meeting. In a press statement from the Prime Minister's office, the government underlined that they believe these additional migrant workers are "indispensable for the national economic and productive system and not otherwise available."

The quota has been divided into different categories. Around 230,550 visas will be issued for non-seasonal workers and the self-employed, and around 267,000 for seasonal workers in sectors like agriculture and tourism.

The interim government of Professor Dr Yunus is near completion of one year after taking oath on August 8, 2024. The political support of European Union country to the present government  is important.

During talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Professor Dr Yunus will seek the support of Italian government as the Italy is an important country in EU, said a Bangladesh diplomat worked  in some EU countries.

In the margins of the high-level week of the 79th United Nations General Assembly, the President of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister), Giorgia Meloni expressed Italy’s support for the reform process in Bangladesh and the main goal of improving the population’s social and economic conditions.

Against this backdrop, Chief Adviser of the Bangladesh government Professor Dr Mohammad  Yunus  is expected to raise the issue of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on recruitment and regularization of Bangladeshi migrants in the coming years, sources said….During the UN meeting, Professor Yunus called for the large-scale formal migration from Bangladesh to Italy.

Expat Bangladeshis living in Italy sent 738.79 million home in 2021, 1161.51 million in 2022, 1357.43 million US dollars in 2023 and 1478.94 million US dollars in 2024, according to the data of Bangladesh   Bank.

This trend shows that remittance flow has been showing an upward trend over the years. The regularization of expat Bangladeshis will help increase flow the of remittances through formal channel, said a Bangladesh  Bank official.
The meeting in New York also provided an opportunity to discuss migration, with the intention being stated to strengthen cooperation on this issue, in particular by relaunching negotiations to complete a bilateral agreement to combat irregular migration flows, establish closer cooperation on returns and, at the same time, support legal paths.
Meanwhile, the irregular migration to some European Union (EU) countries is a matter of concern and Bangladesh should engage in constructive dialogues with EU countries to encourage  safe, organised and regular migration, sources in Dhaka and Brussels said.

Bangladesh missions in Italy, Germany, Spain, France, Portugal, Poland, Greece, Romania and Brussels have no proper documentation of regular and irregular Bangladeshis living in EU countries, sources said.

In the past, Brussels also handed over a list of illegal and irregular migrants to Bangladesh government and sought   Dhaka’s intervention in the matter, sources said

Sources in Dhaka said EU countries in the last 30 years have sent back several Bangladeshis and urged the Bangladesh government to work on safe and regular migration.

A number of Bangladeshi diplomats who worked in Brussels and other EU countries while talking to this correspondent said “The political governments in Bangladesh in the past hardly took the issue of irregular migration to the EU countries seriously. A Bangladesh diplomat said “The past Awami League government sometimes during the last 15 years remain silent or overlooked the issue of irregular migration to EU countries.  The irregular migration squeezed the scope of regular migration of Bangladeshis to the EU countries. The genuine visa seekers will continue to suffer unless the government becomes serious with brussels on this issue”

The regular migration to the European Union countries, specially to Italy should be encouraged, and Dhaka will seriously work on Safe, organised and regular migration to Italy….. As the population in European countries is decreasing, Europe's "survival" depends on migration, Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

According to available information, around 250,00 Bangladesh nationals live in Italy. Many of them are engaged in different activities including in the hospitality sector, business/informal trade and other fields. The Italian government has been very warm and generous to our community who enjoy a high reputation for being extremely hard-working, peace-loving and law-abiding with the least criminal records. During meetings with the officials of the Italian government, they are usually highly appreciative of our community. In fact, they acknowledge with deep appreciation that the Bangladeshis living in Italy are contributing greatly to the buoyancy of the economy of Italy. However, there is deep concern from them regarding the issue of uninterrupted illegal migration from Bangladesh to Italy and both the countries are currently working closely to devise a legal mechanism (signing an Agreement/MoU) for migration and mobility and minimize illegal migration. Another point of disappointment on the Italian side is that many of our community members, especially female members, are not keen to learn Italian language and cultures which are important for integration. The mission takes every opportunity to sensitize our diaspora in this regard.

“Most of the nurses in the hospital my parents go to in Germany have a migration background. Most of the people who work in care have a migration background, and there aren’t enough of them, in this sector or in others. In Europe, we’re going to have to get back to rationality : we have to look at demographics for what they are, and realise that it’s in our best interest to have a discussion about migration, and recognise that we’re not going to survive without it ,” said Volker Türk

In 2022, almost 3.7 million new residence permits were issued in European Union (EU) Member States – not including the influx from Ukraine – compared to 2.9 million in 2021 and three million in 2019. There were 875,000 new asylum applications, still not counting Ukrainian applicants, Eurostat said, up 52% compared to 2021 and 38% compared to 2019.

As of 1 January 2022, there were 23.8 million non-EU citizens residing in the EU, representing 5.3% of the 27-nation bloc’s 447 million inhabitants. Three-quarters of them live in Germany, Spain, France and Italy.

If people with EU citizenship are included, there are now 38 million people born outside the EU living in it, or 8.5% of the population.

If EU citizens are added, who themselves migrate between their different countries, the share of all foreign nationals living in the bloc rises to 12.5%. This is lower than in most high-income countries such as Switzerland (30.2% non-nationals), Australia (29.2%), Iceland (20.1%), Norway (16.1%) or the United States (13.5%).

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has revealed some 20,000 persons have died or disappeared in the Central and Eastern Mediterranean during the last 20 years.

Italian Ambassador  to  Bangladesh Antonio Alessandro while talking to this correspondent said ““Bangladesh has made impressive social progress since independence. It has been a success story of the developing world. Italy is proud to have contributed to it through its bilateral and multilateral ODA. Now Bangladesh has to tackle new challenges: adapt to climate change, upgrade its labour standards, prevent irregular flows of migration, among others. Italy wishes to continue to be a partner of Bangladesh in its transformation into a smart and modern state.”

Antonio Alessandro said “The last available figure is 250,000, but we consider around 250,000 with irregulars and recent arrivals. Italy is proud to host the largest Bangladeshi community in continental Europe. It contributes significantly to the well-being of Italy and is also an important source of remittances for Bangladesh with 1.2 billion euro transferred in 2022. The Bangladeshi people living in Italy are workers, entrepreneurs and their families, with long-term prospects of staying which makes them a well-integrated and prosperous community.”

“The Italian “flow decree” has increased the number of foreign workers admitted to Italy in the 2023-2025 period. Bangladesh is the largest group of foreign citizens getting these entry permits. Migration from Bangladesh to Italy is very beneficial to both Countries. Our Governments have to accompany this growing flow to prevent irregular transit schemes and undue costs of mediation,” the Italian diplomat added.

Considering the aging society of EU countries, Blue Card policy has been a well-designed way out for these countries to allow skilled and talented migrant workers to contribute to their economy. It is regarded as a key element of the New Pact on Migration and Asylum that will allow the EU countries to normalize the migration policy as well as keep their economy moving. Bangladeshi skilled human resources may be the beneficiaries of this newly adopted policy. The Mission is in close touch with the authorities in this regard.

Bangladesh is currently negotiating with the Italian government regarding signing an MoU on Migration and Mobility which will pave the way for the skilled workforce/professionals, among others, of Bangladesh. Bangladesh is one of the beneficiary countries of the Flussi Decree(Decreto Flussi) of Italy which stipulates jobs for the non-EU workers. Though not significant in numbers allocated for each country including Bangladesh, this Decree was not available for last 8 years for Bangladesh apparently due to non-return of the people who came as seasonal workers.
This is a regular process to repatriate the undocumented population. Traditionally, Italian Governments as well as the society have been found extremely friendly and lenient to the undocumented foreign immigrants including our nationals. There are around 1,46,000 documented Bangladeshi nationals in Italy as per statistics of the Italian authorities. The Government of Italy declared amnesty on a number of occasions which benefitted our undocumented nationals.

In early 2000, around 70000 Bangladeshis were documented under the amnesty. Recently (in 2020) 12,746 Bangladeshis applied for regularization.

Bangladesh and Italy enjoy excellent bilateral relations. Italy was one of the first European countries to recognize (12 February 1972) Bangladesh. Former Bangladesh Ambassador to Italy Md Shameem Ahsan in an interview with this correspondent said that Italian government deeply recall the contribution of expatriate Bangladeshis to the buoyancy of the G-7 economy over the years.

Bangladesh and Italy have significant trade (two-way trade volume over 2.2 billion US dollar) with Italy-the 6th largest export destination of our exports with RMG being the largest export item.  Italy can also help Bangladesh diversify its export baskets. They can import items like leather and leather goods, bi-cycle, ceramics, ICT, jute and jute products from Bangladesh, among others, said a Bangladesh diplomat .

Bangladesh exported goods worth 1547656004 US dollars during July-May  period of the 2023-24 fiscal year, according to the data of Export Promotion of Bureau (EPB) .

Meanwhile, Italian Ambassador to Bangladesh Antonio Alessandro in an interview with this correspondent said that Italy is proud to host the largest Bangladeshi community in continental Europe. It contributes significantly to the well-being of Italy and Bangladesh. The number of expat Bangladeshis living in Italy is around 250,000. Expatriate Bangladeshis sent home 1.2 billion euros in 2022.

He also said that Bangladesh has made impressive social progress since independence. It has been a success story of the developing world. Italy is proud to have contributed to it through its bilateral and multilateral ODA. Now Bangladesh has to tackle new challenges: adapt to climate change, upgrade its labour standards, prevent irregular flows of migration, among others. Italy wishes to continue to be a partner of Bangladesh in its transformation into a smart and modern state.

Italian Ambassador to Bangladesh Antonio Alessandro said that the economic growth has been quite sustained over the last decades export and remittances have provided important financial resources. Despite some global constraints, the prospects remain solid. This is reflected in the trade exchanges between Italy and Bangladesh which continues to expand and diversify.  The  bilateral trade reached the record figure of 2.7 billion euro in 2022.
According to the IOM’s Missing Migrants Project, the annual number of migrant deaths and disappearances in all the Mediterranean jumped from 2,048 in 2021, to 2,411 in 2022, and to 3,041 by the end of 2023.
Italy aims to strengthen its role as a bridge between Europe and Africa through a model of cooperation, development, and equal partnership. It will present its plan for a platform of shared ideas for discussion with partners during the conference.

Meanwhile, the European Union Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh (EuroCham) urges the Interim Government to avoid discrimination against European Union (EU) companies, as Bangladesh considers offering substantial trade concessions to the United States, said Nuria Lopez, Chairperson of EuroCham Bangladesh.

The EU is Bangladesh’s largest and most reliable trading partner, accounting for half of all exports, with longstanding duty free and quota free preferential access granted to Bangladesh under the everything but Arms scheme since 2001.

Bangladesh enjoys a notably higher trade surplus with the EU compared to its other trade partners. Out of a total €22 billion trade in 2024, EU exports accounted for only €2 billion, resulting in a trade balance strongly in favor of Bangladesh. High tariffs and non-tariff barriers hinder EU companies’ efforts to do business with and export to Bangladesh.

EuroCham encourages the Government to reaffirm its commitment to a rules-based trading system and to pursue essential trade policy and customs reforms, while ensuring fair and equitable treatment for all trading partners.
EuroCham stands ready to collaborate with the Government in addressing current challenges and to support a smooth and sustainable transition in the post-LDC graduation phase.

Meanwhile, the conference of the European Migration Network as part of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council on “Countering irregular migration and addressing its root causes” was held at the Royal Castle in Warsaw on June 24 2025. Deputy Ministers from EU Member States, high-ranked officials from the European Commission and EU Agencies, governmental representatives of third countries as well as international organizations gathered to discuss important challenges such as:

The European Union has been actively working to enhance the management of its external borders and address the challenges posed by irregular migration. This involves operational measures to strengthen border controls, improve migration management, and increase its preparedness. For this purpose, the EU is engaging in partnerships with countries of origin and transit to reduce and prevent irregular migration. Comprehensive partnerships are part of this strategy.

Uncontrolled and irregular arrivals caused by migrant smuggling put systems under strain and undermine effective migration management. These journeys can be extremely dangerous, and smugglers frequently expose migrants to both life-threatening risks and violence. The loss of lives as a result of migrant smuggling demands an assertive and urgent response at EU and global level. The mobility of people needs to be managed through the adequate policy channels and legislation, not by organised criminal groups. Only a comprehensive and sustainable approach, like the one proposed by the Global Alliance to Counter Migrant Smuggling, based on the three pillars of prevention, response to migrant smuggling and alternatives to irregular migration, can result in progress. Collective efforts require a combination of robust actions, complementing mutually beneficial partnerships with countries of origin and transit, addressing the root causes of irregular migration, and fighting organised networks of migrant smugglers and traffickers in human beings.

Tackling irregular migration in Europe requires a comprehensive approach that addresses both the causes and consequences of migration. Promoting legal migration pathways as a viable alternative, economic development in countries of origin and strengthening border management are key elements of a strategy that can help address the problem.

At the same time, the protection of human rights must be ensured. By working together, the EU and its Member States, along with international partners, can deliver more effective solutions to migration challenges. The Team Europe approach ensures a unified and collaborative response to complex global issues, such as migration and development, and is a crucial element of EU cooperation in external relations.