Focus more on skill development to promote safe, regular migration: Shama Obaed
She emphasises the “zero tolerance” commitment of the new government toward illegal migration
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam today (11 May) urged to focus more on skill development programmes for promoting safe, orderly and regular migration and warned to bring the unscrupulous syndicates under laws who have been involved in illegal migration.
She made the remarks while attending a meeting on recent deaths of Bangladeshis on the Mediterranean Sea, a dangerous route taken by the irregular migrants on Bangladesh-Libya-Italy route at the State Guest House "Padma".
Foreign secretary, senior officials of the Government, Ambassador of Italy, Chief of IOM Mission in Dhaka also attended the meeting and took part in the discussion.
Speaking at the event, the state minister emphasised on the "zero tolerance" commitment of the new government led by the Prime Minister Tarique Rahman toward illegal migration.
At the session, the Ambassador of Italy to Bangladesh informed that the European Union is going to enact a new regulation on asylum and migration in June 2026, where the asylum process would become tougher to get legal status for illegal migrants.
The meeting discussed ways and future expansion of safe, orderly and regular migration pathways by imparting migrants with skills, language proficiency and making regular pathways attractive.
The state minister also opined to engage with Bangladeshi diaspora so that they could contribute more with remittance, capital, expertise and ideas.
The meeting ended with a general agreement of all partners to continue working together to curb illegal migration, promote regular migration and to keep a humane, regular, and rights-based approach in the entire process of migration.
