Italy has expressed keen interest in recruiting workers from Bangladesh through legal migration channels, according to Bangladesh’s Home Affairs Advisor Lieutenant General (Retd.) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury. His statement came during a press briefing held on Monday following a meeting with the Italian Minister of the Interior, H.E. Matteo Piantedosi, at the Ministry of Home Affairs in Dhaka.

Advisor Jahangir Alam stated that the Italian government appreciates the hardworking nature of Bangladeshi laborers and is open to hiring new workers directly from Bangladesh through officially sanctioned migration routes. The Italian side also discouraged the practice of attempting to reach Italy through sea routes using visas from third countries, a method commonly associated with irregular migration.

During the discussion, the Bangladeshi delegation emphasized the importance of regularizing the status of those Bangladeshis who have already entered Italy through such means. The Home Affairs Advisor noted that this was an important part of the conversation and urged the Italian side to consider legalizing those who are currently undocumented but already residing in Italy.

In addition to labor migration issues, the two countries agreed to enhance cooperation in the areas of law enforcement and security training. Italy has committed to providing training support for members of the Bangladesh Police and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB). This cooperation aims to build capacity and improve coordination between the respective agencies of both nations.

The meeting concluded with a mutual understanding to explore further avenues for collaboration, particularly in migration governance and law enforcement, to ensure safer and more regulated movement of people and to strengthen bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Italy.