Greece to hire 4,000 workers from Bangladesh every year

Greece will hire 4,000 workers from Bangladesh every year, according to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two countries, the first such deal for Bangladesh with any European country.

The hired workers will be given a temporary work permit for five years, reads a press statement issued by the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment. 

Expat Minister Imran Ahmed and Greek Minister of Migration and Asylum Panagiotis Mitarachi signed the deal on Wednesday in Dhaka.

"This is the first employment-related MoU with a European country for Bangladesh," Minister Imran said on the occasion.

He said once realised, the agreement will allow aspiring Bangladeshis to migrate to Greece at the expense of the employers.

The minister hopes the deal will help people to avoid the traps of brokers.

According to the press statement, Greece will hire seasonal Bangladeshi workers in the agricultural sector. The range of sectors might be expanded later through discussions between the countries.

Meanwhile, Panagiotis Mitarachi said the MoU will be materialised after the Greek parliament approves it.

At present, around 80,000 Bangladeshi expatriates are living in Greece, according to an unofficial estimate. Many of them are undocumented.

Md Shahidul Alam, director-general, Bureau of Manpower, Employment, and Training (BMET) told The Business Standard, "Opening the doors of the European labour market has been a priority for us. [The agreement with] Greece has opened it. In this way, workers can avoid illegal routes and earn sufficient salaries."

Earlier, a letter of intent was signed by both countries regarding the matter last November.