Italy wants to repatriate undocumented Bangladeshis

The Italian government has expressed its intention to repatriate Bangladeshi nationals residing illegally in Italy. Matteo Piantedosi, the Italian interior minister, conveyed this during his visit to Dhaka.

However, Bangladesh Home Adviser Lieutenant General (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury requested that Italy consider legalising these undocumented individuals instead of sending them back.

Matteo Piantedosi is leading a six-member delegation. Today (5 May), they held a meeting with the home adviser to the interim government of Bangladesh at the secretariat.

Also present at the meeting were Antonio Alessandro, the Italian ambassador to Bangladesh; Md Khoda Bakhsh Chowdhury, special assistant to the chief adviser, home secretary Nasmul Ghani and other senior officials.

An official who attended the meeting told TBS on condition of anonymity that Italy has adopted a new immigration policy under which undocumented migrants are being deported. The Italian delegation primarily discussed how to streamline the process of returning undocumented Bangladeshis.

According to the official, the Italian interior minister and others requested Bangladesh's cooperation in repatriating the illegal immigrants. They also urged the Bangladesh government to take measures to prevent its citizens from entering Italy illegally. Additionally, they proposed identifying and prosecuting those within Bangladesh who facilitate illegal migration to Italy.

A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) exists between Bangladesh and the European Union concerning the repatriation of undocumented migrants. Italy seeks to repatriate Bangladeshi nationals based on this SOP.

A report presented at the meeting revealed that 66,617 people entered Italy illegally by sea in 2024, of whom 21% – 14,284 individuals – were Bangladeshi citizens. 

Among them, 14,117 (nearly 99%) got there via Libya. Italian authorities argue that those involved in manpower exports from Bangladesh are deeply connected to high-level trafficking and smuggling networks operating along the Central Mediterranean route.

In a written statement at the meeting, the home adviser expressed Bangladesh's hope that the Italian government would take a generous approach to legalise Bangladeshi citizens residing in Italy. He also said Bangladesh would cooperate in repatriating undocumented citizens within a mutually agreed framework and outlined the initiatives the government has taken to discourage illegal migration.

After the meeting, while briefing the journalists, Home Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said, "We requested that if any Bangladeshi has entered Italy illegally, they too should be given a chance to become legal residents. We also discussed ways to enhance cooperation between the two countries."

He noted that many people enter other countries with visas and later move illegally into Italy. The Italian side emphasised that Bangladeshis should not do this and instead use proper channels with valid visas. This message was repeated multiple times by the Italian delegation.

He added, "The Italian delegation stated that their country is willing to take in more workers from Bangladesh. They said Bangladeshis are hardworking and contribute positively to the Italian economy."

Italy will primarily enhance cooperation with Bangladesh's police, coast guard, and border guard in training – particularly in combating human trafficking, fire prevention, and reducing cybercrime.