Italy migration aspirants seek speedy solution to visa processing delays, harassment

People aspiring to migrate to Italy from Bangladesh have sought intervention from the governments of both countries to expedite the reopening of Italian visa appointments, thereby addressing the prolonged delays in the application process.

Joining a press conference at the Crime Reporters' Association auditorium in the capital's Segunbagicha on Monday, they said that as many as 1.10 lakh individuals seeking Italian visas have been enduring stress for over a year because of unexpected delays in visa processing, unusual delays in delivery and complications caused by intermediaries.

The event was jointly organised by three associations of expatriates – Bangladesh Migration Development Forum (BMDF), Italy-Bangla Coordination Development Society and Expatriates Development Society of Bangladesh.

At the press conference, the aspiring migrants said after trying for over 6-7 months, they have yet to secure a visa appointment. As a result, they are facing unemployment and suffering from both financial and mental strains.

Moreover, many visa seekers are falling victim to exploitation, as brokers entice them with a range of promises in exchange for money—which is very alarming, they added.

Shah Mohammad Taifur Rahman, executive director of the Italy-Bangla Association and Expatriates Development Society of Bangladesh, noted that the Italian embassy in Dhaka has announced plans to deliver at least 20,000 passports by this December. However, the existing number of applicants is roughly 1,10,000.

"If it is not possible to deliver 40,000 passports even after a year, it will take at least two to three years to complete the delivery of 1,10,000 passports. This will result in increased suffering for the migrant workers," he added.

At the event, the visa seekers also placed a five-point demand.

These include reopening the appointment process by 20 October. "Otherwise, the appointment seekers will go on tougher programmes."

In addition, visa application submission must be arranged within 30 days of appointment email issuance, and the visa application must be settled after completing all the processes within a maximum of 60 working days after the application.

They also called for an end to the disrespectful conduct and all forms of harassment perpetrated by the officers and employees of VFS Global, the official agency of the embassy, towards the visa candidates.

"In addition, access to the latest status regarding checking and tracking the appointment emails in the backlog must be ensured."

Other demands include prompt response from the embassy or VFS Global when contacted by the candidates' employers to inquire about the progress of the appointment or visa application process.

Also, any kind of trade revolving appointments, and harassment by brokers or fraudsters must be stopped.

Among others, President of the Bangladesh Migration Development Forum (BMDF) Khairuzzaman Kamal also addressed the conference.

According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here on 3 October, the Italian embassy has taken several significant steps, including enhancing the manpower of its consular wing, aiming at expediting disposal of the long backlog of visa applications.

The embassy has also assured that within the next two months, a substantial number of applications, amounting to at least 20,000, will be returned to their respective applicants, reads the media release.