NN Online:
Italy has expressed interest in hiring more Bangladeshi workers and ensuring safe, legal migration, Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi told Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus during a meeting on Monday.
The meeting took place at the State Guest House Jamuna, where both sides discussed mutual concerns, including legal migration, human trafficking, and strengthening trade and investment ties.
Minister Piantedosi shared that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is expected to visit Bangladesh before September, underscoring Rome’s intention to renew and enhance bilateral cooperation.
“We have a vibrant Bangladeshi community in Italy—young, hardworking, and well-integrated. We need more of them, but through legal channels,” Piantedosi said. He warned against the risks of illegal migration, noting that many migrants take dangerous routes, particularly by sea, which poses challenges for Italy.
He emphasized the need for collaboration with Bangladesh to curb illegal migration and combat organized crime, proposing a new policy framework for cooperation.
Chief Adviser Yunus welcomed the initiative and assured Bangladesh’s commitment to work with Italy in preventing human trafficking and irregular migration.
He acknowledged the appreciation Bangladeshi migrants have for their host country and expressed concern over international trafficking networks exploiting migrants.
“Migrants are the victims, not the beneficiaries, of human trafficking,” Yunus stated.
He also recalled his meeting with the Italian Prime Minister during the UN General Assembly in New York last year and reaffirmed Bangladesh’s willingness to strengthen joint efforts on migration and related issues.
