Italy visa applicants stage sit-in in front of Italian Embassy over four demands
The protesters claimed that despite holding valid work permits, applicants from the 2023–24 period have neither been granted visas nor officially rejected.
A group of Italy visa applicants held a sit-in protest today (23 July) in front of the Italian Embassy in the capital's Gulshan, demanding quick resolution of pending visa issues from 2023–24.
More than a hundred visa seekers participated in the demonstration, calling for action on four key demands, including the immediate processing of long-delayed work visas.
The protesters claimed that despite holding valid work permits, applicants from the 2023–24 period have neither been granted visas nor officially rejected. Family visa applicants are also reportedly facing the same deadlock.
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"We demand that all pending visas be resolved within the next month," one of the demonstrators said.
They further alleged that nearly 3,000 passports remain stuck at the VFS Global office, without any updates or returns.
Until their demands are met, the protesters vowed to continue their protests.
One applicant, Ramzan Ali, said, "Since May 2024, scanned copies of our passports have been collected, but no appointments have been given to submit the original passports. This uncertainty is causing serious financial and mental distress."
"We've contacted the VFS Global office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and even the Office of the Chief Adviser — but to no avail. The embassy keeps giving assurances, but no real progress has been made," he added.
The four demands are - immediate resolution of pending 2023–24 work visa applications at the Italian Embassy, fast-track processing of work visa applications submitted with scanned passports, return of all passports currently withheld by the embassy from 2023–24 applicants and resolution of complications related to family visa applications.
