The Italian ambassador to Bangladesh, Antonio Alessandro, has stated that his country will work on solving the matter of work visas after reports that visa processing for employment purposes of Bangladeshi applicants is taking too long.
According to local media, these remarks were made during the welcoming of the new secretary, Jashim Uddin, whom Ambassador Alessandro urged to improve the bilateral relations with Italy.
Ambassador Alessandro confirmed Italy’s will to resolve the outstanding work visa issue at an early date and cooperate further to curb irregular migration and promote legal pathways for skills mobility from Bangladesh to Italy, during the maiden courtesy call on the Foreign Secretary.
Previously, the Italian Embassy advised applicants to not task intermediaries with their Schengen visa applications as this is one of the reasons why processing requests is taking so long. In addition, the organised criminal networks attacking the visa system and attempting the submission of counterfeit documents are other factors.
The ambassador vowed to improve the work visa issue soon and also cooperate to mitigate irregular migration. Bangladesh is the second-largest diaspora in Europe, and thousands of people live across the EU.
Italian Ambassador Reveals Stringent Anti-Immigration Measures
Alongside promises to improve work visa processing times, the Italian ambassador also took the time to explain that his government is working on some new measures that aim to mitigate immigration. The most stringent measures are being implemented against human trafficking and migrant smuggling.
The Ambassador of Italy H.E. Mr. Antonio Alessandro congratulated Ambassador Mr. Md. Jashim Uddin on his appointment as the Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh and hoped that bilateral relations between the two friendly countries will be further strengthened in the coming days.
Officers of Italy’s Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with International Cooperation, are now helping the Embassy in the selection process, which causes the fast-track of the visa issuing process.
Thousands of Bangladeshis Apply for Schengen Visas in Italy Every Year
According to statistics published, Bangladeshi nationals filed 39,729 visa applications in 2023. Over one-third (34 per cent) of these applications were filed for Italy Schengen visa.
Bangladeshis are most likely to receive a negative decision on their visa application when applying in Italy, considering that this EU country has the lowest approval rates. Only 40.0 per cent of visa requests filed by Bangladeshis are granted.
After Italy, Bangladeshis apply for Schengen visas the most in Sweden, Germany, and France.
