‘Italy offers Bangladeshis zero-cost migration’

A new initiative would soon enable skilled Bangladeshi workers to migrate to Italy at zero cost after completing Italian language, civic orientation and vocational training, Prime Minister’s Adviser Mahdi Amin on Tuesday said.

Mahdi said “The process will begin on a limited scale very soon, the initiative would create a structured and transparent pathway for Bangladeshis seeking legal employment in Italy.” Adviser said while addressing a seminar titled “Language, Civic and Professional Training for Skilled Migration to Italy” at a city hotel.

Under the provision, pre-departure training programmes approved and certified by Italy’s Ministry of Labour and Social Policies allow qualified foreign workers to enter Italy legally outside the annual quotas established under the country’s Decreto Flussi, or Flow Decree.

According to the Italian Embassy, the programmes require basic Italian language proficiency, knowledge of Italian society and civic responsibilities, and vocational qualifications relevant to specific employment sectors.

The embassy said prospective migrant workers would not have to bear any cost under the approved training programmes.

Addressing the seminar as chief guest, Mahdi Amin said the government’s priority was to ensure skilled, regular and low-cost overseas employment while reducing migration expenses to zero wherever possible.

He described the Italian initiative as a model that could be expanded nationwide through cooperation among government agencies, international development partners and private-sector organisations.

The adviser said the government intended to incorporate similar training arrangements into national skills development programmes and extend them to other overseas employment destinations.

He emphasised the importance of preparing Bangladesh’s young workforce with internationally recognised professional skills, foreign language proficiency and workplace competencies.

“Our young people have no shortage of talent or ability. The real challenge is to provide proper guidance, develop their skills and create international opportunities for them,” he said.

Mahdi Amin said Bangladesh could better utilise its demographic dividend by creating transparent and affordable migration pathways that protect workers from excessive recruitment costs and exploitation.

He also assured representatives of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment and Bangladesh Overseas Employment and Services Limited (BOESL) of necessary policy support to integrate successful international training models into Bangladesh’s migration framework.

The adviser said the government was prioritising third-language education alongside Bangla and English and planned to incorporate Italian and other foreign languages into technical and vocational education curricula.

Referring to the contribution of more than 250,000 Bangladeshis living in Italy, he said migrant workers were strengthening the Italian economy while supporting Bangladesh through remittances.

He also highlighted the government’s initiative to introduce a “Probashi Card” to strengthen social and financial protection for expatriate Bangladeshis.

Mahdi Amin expressed optimism that the initiative would open new opportunities for Bangladeshi workers to secure dignified employment in Italy while providing a model for expanding zero-cost skilled migration to other countries.

The seminar featured presentations on Italy’s Article 23 migration framework and ongoing pre-departure training projects in Bangladesh.

Among the initiatives discussed were the TASTE project in the restaurant and hospitality sectors, implemented by Frontiere Skills, and textile-sector training projects undertaken by Format.

Participants included prospective migrant workers currently receiving training under the programmes.

Italian Ambassador to Bangladesh Antonio Alessandro, European Union Deputy Head of Delegation Baiba Zarina, Italian Embassy Deputy Head of Mission Federico Zamparelli and Migration Adviser Giuseppe Di Giovanni addressed the seminar.

Representatives of Frontiere Skills, Format and UP Recruitment Agency also presented their respective training and employment initiatives.

International Labour Organization (ILO) Head of Programme Gunjan Dallakoti and International Organization for Migration (IOM) Chief of Mission in Bangladesh Dr Laura Nicole Tomm-Bond‚ also spoke.

The discussions highlighted the importance of collaboration among governments, employers and international organisations in developing safe, orderly and skills-based migration pathways.
The seminar, organised by the Italian Embassy in collaboration with international partners, highlighted opportunities for skilled migration under Article 23 of Italy’s immigration legislation.